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