Ballet, BMI and Braces = +Scoliosis Risk
If your pediatrician has ever told you that your child may have scoliosis, or a sideways bend of the spine, you’ve more than likely asked yourself, “what caused this?” or “how could I have prevented this?” Researchers have long struggled to find an answer. Everyone agreed that there was a likely genetic link, but past […]
Can thermal scans for scoliosis replace x-rays?
People with scoliosis are subjected to a great deal of x-ray radiation over the course of their lives, significantly increasing their risk for breast cancer. A year ago, I wrote a blog introducing thermal body scans as a potential alternative to these x-rays, and I received a tremendous response. It made me curious as to […]
A Christmas Ode to Pilates
Many people turn to Pilates for lower back pain relief. That was not my journey. This Christmas in particular, I am thankful for my unique Pilates journey because it brought me to a new career I love. I am thankful for Christmas because it launched me into my career as a Pilates instructor. More specifically, […]
Small scoliosis curves – are they painful?
It is easy to imagine how large scoli curves can wreak havoc on one’s body, but many people are unaware of how small scoliosis curves can be just as physically and emotionally painful. I wrote in The Beautiful Scoliotic Back that bodies like balance. So, any deviation, even a small one, (i.e. small scoli curves) […]
Breathe To Get The Stench Out Of Your Lungs
Have you ever heard of or practiced tommo breathing? I hadn’t until I heard the fascinating story below from a fellow instructor. This lead me to seek about someone skilled in breathing, who taught me the tommo technique This story comes from another instructor’s client who’s a lung surgeon. This surgeon said his least favorite […]
Breath helps scoliosis in more than one way
It’s been well documented that people with scoliosis experience movement restrictions in their ribcage and lungs. I know I’ve felt it. It starts in my upper ribcage, and at times, it’s almost debilitating. This is why breath is extremely important, particularly for people with scoliosis, it helps facilitate movement. You can even control which part of […]
Breast Cancer and Scoliosis
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, making this a great time to talk about the proven link between breast cancer and scoliosis. It’s true. People with scoliosis are at an increased risk of getting breast cancer. Why? The short answer is the increased exposure to radiation from constant X-rays. But let’s start this discussion by looking at […]
Demonstration of the Pilates EXO® Chair
Many years ago, I was dancing on tour with the Radio City Rockettes, and I was in a lot of pain, particularly in my knees and back. My manager suggested I tried Pilates, and BOOM – my life changed forever. Now, I’m a certified Pilates instructor and most of my days are filled teaching Teacher […]
How Do I Make My Scoliosis Better?
That’s the most frequent question I’m asked; a variation of “What can I specifically do to help my scoliosis get better?” As you can imagine, everyone’s bodies and scoli are different. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach or set of magic exercises that are right for everyone. For this reason, you have to […]
Abdominal Crunch Mistakes
We’ve all seen the internet and magazine headlines, demanding that we get in “Bikini Body Shape” or promising a quick and easy way to “Get Rock Hard Abs!” But you and I know that there’s no magic bullet to getting that six pack – it takes hard work and consistency. But the next time you see that same guy at […]