Scoliosis causes your spine to curve sideways and can place excess strain on your spine and back muscles. No one knows the exact cause of scoliosis, but exercise can help relieve back pain that may result from the condition. Consult your physician prior to starting any exercise program if you have scoliosis.
Identification
Common signs of scoliosis include uneven shoulders, an elevated hip, a prominent shoulder blade, an uneven waist or leaning to one side. As scoliosis progresses, it may cause your spine to rotate in addition to the lateral curves, MayoClinic.com reports. Eventually, this can cause the ribs on one side of the body to protrude farther than on the other side. Back pain may result from the stress scoliosis places on the intervertebral discs, spinal nerves and back muscles.
Prevention/Solution
Exercise may help relieve back pain and straighten some of the excess spine curvature caused by scoliosis. Prior to exercise, apply heat to your lower back with a heating pad or hot shower, advises Shawn Stevenson, a strength and conditioning coach at Advanced Integrative Health Alliance. An anti-inflammatory medication or topical analgesic may also help. Stevenson recommends a brisk walk to warm up all your muscles prior to any workout. A physical therapist or other exercise specialist trained in scoliosis treatment can teach you safe, effective stretching and strengthening exercises to use following a quality warm-up. "Hydration is also important to any exercise workout for clients with scoliosis," Stevenson advises. Your muscles require adequate water to function properly. Drink one glass of water prior to your workout, and an additional glass for every 20 minutes of exercise.
Warnings
Exercises that increase the muscle imbalance in your back or cause excessive strain on your joints can intensify your back pain and worsen your scoliosis. Stevenson advises people with scoliosis to avoid crunches and weighted squats. Also avoid activities such as running or high impact aerobics that increase the strain on your spinal joints, advises Dr. Christopher Oswald, the CEO of MuscleCare, a division of Active and Innovative Inc.
Expert Insight
The quality of your exercise has a greater impact on the back pain caused by scoliosis than the quantity. "Rehab will work on stretching exercises to help lengthen certain muscles and strengthening exercises to help shorten others," states Dr. Jordan Leasure, a chiropractor at North Shore Pro-Active Health. Use the correct combination of exercise and the correct technique by only doing exercises you learned from a professional with expertise in scoliosis. Exercise that fails to stretch or strengthen the right muscles will aggravate your condition.
Considerations
Not all people with scoliosis will see improvement in spinal curvature with a treatment plan that solely focuses on exercise. You may need a combination of physical therapy, massage, chiropractic measures and surgery to reduce curvatures and pain. Leasure says you will see the most benefits from a multifaceted approach. Consult your medical team to find the treatment options that will work for you.
References
- Shawn Stevenson; Advanced Integrative Health Alliance; St. Louis, Missouri.
- Christopher Oswald; MuscleCare; Toronto, Ontario.
- Dr. Jordan Leasure; North Shore Pro-Active Health; Libertyville, Illinois
- MayoClinic.com: Scoliosis Symptoms
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Scoliosis
- MayoClinic.com: Core Exercises
