How to train scoliosis sufferers?

[souljer]

Hi, anyone has experience in training clients with scoliosis? What type of training, movement prep and activation work do u prescribe for them in such cases? Any books or resources i can refer to for such cases?

[UConnJulie]

Honestly, it depends upon the specific person ... do they have compensated or uncompensated curves? Have they had Harrington rods? What age are they?

Generally, you want to stretch the concave side and strengthen the convex side. So strengthen that which is long and stretch that which is short.

[jessica1228]

This topic is of particular interest to me because I have scoliosis. I had ten vertibrae of my spine fused ten years ago when I was 14, but my back is still not perfect and I still have a rib hump on the right side.

I have gone through physical therapy (oddly enough, it was just this year -- I was never prescribed any after surgery!) and also recent ART treatments.

Julie, I am curious about the stretch/strengthen concept. I know it's hard to elaborate much online, but from what I'm gathering, you strengthen the side opposite the rib hump and stretch the side of the rib hump? Do you just do less strength work (fewer sets?) on the rib hump side?

I've had several personal trainers over the years, but I don't think any of them really 100% understood how to train me with scoliosis. My physical therapist was very helpful in a lot of corrective work, but unfortunately he's out of the state now. (plus he did more corrective work than muscle-building)

[UConnJulie]

Well, post-op things are different. If you have multiple levels fused, you will never change the bony alignment there as the bones are fused. Rib humps occur on the convex side since in scoliotic curves side flexion and rotation occur in opposite directions. So, if your rib hump is on the right, that is also the side of your convexity.

The previous corrective work you were prescribed is likely still appropriate. Think of it as a good warm-up or a good recovery workout to do on rest days.

And remember that if your scoliosis was bad enough to warrant surgery, it might have been bad enough that they couldn't "fix" it 100%. You don't say how old you are now, but you mostly want to prevent it from getting worse as you age. The best time to work on corrective strategies for congenital scoliosis is as soon as it is discovered in childhood.

[jessica1228]

Thanks, I appreciate the response! I definitely plan to continue the corrective exercises as I now see the importance. I've been hitting the gym since I was 13, but never working on corrective exercises until now.

The odd/frustrating thing is my rib hump was about 75% corrected post-surgery (I had it at 14 -- age 24 now). I started to notice that it seemed more pronounced over the years, but ignored it. I finally went to a orthopedic doctor last year and found out that my spine has rotated over the years, causing the rib hump to worsen. Apparently rotation can occur when the fused portion wants to curve but cannot, so it rotates instead. Any idea whether the spine is able to de-rotate at all over time as corrective work is done? I'm thinking it's unlikely, but at the very least I hope to keep things as they are.

[UConnJulie]

Anything is possible. If the rotation is just a compensation and not part of the fusion, then it is possible to correct it to some degree.