PilatesforScoliosis

AgieSkeleJuly29,2017

PacificPalisades

Abstract

Whatisscoliosisandhowcanclientsmanagechronicbackpainandimprovetheir

posture?Scoliosisisacurveinthespine.Therearedifferentdegreesofscoliosis.Mild

scoliosiscanhaveacurvethatisalmostimpossibletoseeanditdoesn’taffectaperson’s

dailyactivities.Itcanalsobesevereandaffectbreathingandincludechronicbackpain.Itis

unknownwherescoliosiscomesfrombutsomepeoplecanbebornwithitasotherscan

developitintheirteenageyears.Insomecases,childrenwillneedtowearabodybraceor

haveaspinalsurgery,butusuallyitcanbemanagedwithexercise.Inthisresearchpaper,it

isunknownwhethertheclientwasbornwithscoliosisordevelopeditinlateryears.She

haschronicbackpainbutafterpracticingPilatesforthepastfouryears,ithasdrastically

decreasedandherposturehasimprovedaswell.Ithasbecomeherregularroutineto

attendPilatesclasses3-4timesperweek.TheBASIblocksystemconditioningprogramhas

beenrecommendedtokeepmanagingherscoliosisandbackpain.

TableofContents WhatisScoliosis?………………………………………………………………………………..4 AnatomyoftheSpine………………………………………………………………….................6 CaseStudy…………………………………………………………………….............................8 ConditioningProgramUtilizingBASIBlockSystem………………………...............................10 DesiredResultsofConditioningProgram……………………………………………………..13 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………..14 WorksCited…………………………………………………………………………................15

What is Scoliosis? “Scoliosisisadeformityofthevertebralcolumncharacterizedbyabnormal

curvaturesinallthreeplanes,mostnotablyinthefrontalandhorizontal.Thedeformity

mostofteninvolvesthethoracicspinebutotherregionscanbeaffected.”(Kinesiologyof

theMusculoskeletalSystem,p.289)Accordingto

https://www.gstatic.com/healthricherkp/pdf/scoliosis.pdf,mostcasesaremildwithsmall

discomfort,butpeoplewhodevelopmoreseverescoliosiscanfeelpainanddiscomfort.

Visuallyapersoncanbeleaningtooneside,andcandevelopmusclespasmsandphysical

deformity,oranunevenwaist,hipsandshoulders.Insomecases,peoplemightrequire

surgicaltreatmentorabackbracetostabilizeandsupporttheirbackbut,inmostcases,

scoliosiscanbemanagedthroughexerciseandachiropractor’streatment.Ifthespinal

curvegetsworse,thespinewillalsorotateortwist,inadditiontocurvingsidetoside.This

causestheribsononesideofthebodytostickoutfartherthanontheotherside.

Therearetwotypesofscoliosis:

Functional:

• Can be corrected by an active shift in posture.

Structural:

• Is a fixed deformity that cannot be corrected by an active shift in posture.

AccordingtoKinesiologyoftheMusculoskeletalSystem,p.290,approximately80-90%of

allcasesofstructuralscoliosisaretermed“idiopathic.”Thismeanstheconditionhasno

apparentbiologicalormechanicalcause.Thistypeofscoliosismostcommonlyaffects

adolescentgirls.Scoliosisisdescribedbythelocationonthespineandthenumberoffixed

frontalplanecurvatures.Themostcommonscoliosisconsistsofasinglelateralcurve

aroundtheT7-9regionbuttherearemanyotherpatternsthatinvolveasecondarycurve,

whichwouldbeinthelumbarspine.Ribcagedeformityisalsopresentalotoftimes(add

morefrompage292).Somecomplicationsmightincludeheartandlungdamage,orchronic

backpain.

AnatomyoftheSpine

Image1

Section through scoliotic Concave side Convex side

Spine vertebrae; decreased

vertebral

height and disc thickness on

concave side

Image2

CaseStudy

Itisunknowniftheclientwasbornwithscoliosisorifitdevelopedinherteenage

years.Whenshewas12yearsold,doctorsinLatviadiagnosedherwithscoliosisinher

lumbarspinearea.SeeImages2and3,whichshowtheclientfromtherightsidestanding

andduringarolldown.

Itmightbeinheritedasherfatherhadseverescoliosis.Forabouttwoyears,shevisited

clinicstodoexercisesthatweresimilartoPilatesonceaweek.Fromages24-30shesawa

chiropractorthreetimesaweek,butitwasneversuggestedtodoback-strengthening

exercises.Aroundage30shediscoveredPilatesandhasbeentakingPilatesclasses3-4

timesperweek.Pilateshashelpedherwithpostureandmusclestrength,andhasreduced

herchronicbackpain.Nowsheonlygoestothechiropractoreveryfewmonths.Pilatesisa

bigpartofherdailyroutineandshehasbeenadvisedtotakePilateslessons3-4timesper

weektocontinuemanagingherscoliosis.TheBASIexerciseprogramensuresthather

wholebodyistargetedperformingBASIblocksystemexercises.

Image2Image3

ConditioningProgramUtilizingBASIBlockSystemThefollowingconditioningroutinewillincludeafull-bodyworkoutfollowingthe

BASIblocksystem.Theclientwillstartandfinishwitharolldownfortheinstructortosee

theclient’salignmentatthebeginningandattheendofthesession.Therolldownisa

greattoolfortheinstructortoassessimbalancesinaclient’sbodyandtheclientcanstart

warmingupherbody.TherestoftheexerciseswillfollowtheBASIblocksystemtoensure

thatallmusclesaretargetedduringthesession.Sincethisclienthasscoliosisinher

thoracicspine,sheneedstoworkonchestexpansion,strengtheningcoreandbackmuscles,

andaligningherbody.Herrightshouldertendstorollforwardsotheclientwillneedto

focusonopeningherrightshoulder.SincethisclienthasbeenpracticingPilatesforfour

years,shehasbecomeawareofherbodyalignmentbutshewillneedassistancefromthe

instructortohelpwiththat,assometimesitishardforhertofeelitherself.

ThefollowingisanexampleofaConditioningProgram.

RollDown

Warmup(Mat)

PelvicCurl,SpineTwistSupineChestLiftChestLiftWithRotationFootWork(Reformer)

HeelsParallelToesParallelVPositionToesWideHeelsWideToesCalfRaisesPrancesSingleLegHeel

SingleLegToesAbdominalWork(Reformer)

100PrepCoordination HipWork(Reformer) FrogCirclesDownCirclesUpOpenings SpinalArticulation(Reformer)

BottomLiftBottomLiftwithExtension

Stretches(Reformer)

KneelingLunge

Full-BodyIntegrationI(Reformer)

ElephantUpstretch1Upstretch2ReverseKneeStretch ArmsSupine(Reformer)ExtensionAdductionCirclesUpCirclesDownTriceps LegWork(WundaChair)LegPressStandingLateral(WundaChair) SideReach

BackExtension(WundaChair)SwanBasic RollDown

DesiredResultsofConditioningProgram FollowingtheBASIconditioningprogram3-4timesperweek,itisdesiredthatthe

clientwillhavemoreawarenessofbodyalignment,haveabetterposture,strengthen

musclesandreducebackpain.

Conclusion

Clienthasbeenawarethatshehasscoliosisandchronicbackpainsinceherteenage

years.ShehasbeentochiropractorsforseveralyearsbutwasintroducedtoPilatesabout

fouryearsagoandhasbeenpracticingPilates3-4timesperweek.Althoughshestill

experiencesbackpaininherthoracicspine,ithasreducedtremendouslywithPilates.She

willcontinueherPilatespracticetoworkonstrength,alignmentandposture.TheBASI

blocksystemensuresthateverymuscleistargetedduringtheexerciseprogram.

WorksCited HansenJohn,T.Netter’sClinicalAnatomy,Canada:Saunders,animprintofElsevierInc.

2010,pp.43

Isacowitz,Rael.StudyGuide:ComprehensiveCourse.CostaMesa,California:BodyArtsandScienceInternational,2013.

Scoliosis,MayoClinic,http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/scoliosis/home/ovc-

20193685 Scoliosis,https://www.gstatic.com/healthricherkp/pdf/scoliosis.pdf