Posture Exercises for Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a difficult condition to live with. While many sufferers must wear a brace and face the possibility of surgery, some have found relief through exercise. Although exercise is not a cure, it can alleviate some symptoms and even restore a measure of postural normality to those afflicted with this condition.

Definition

• Scoliosis refers to a condition manifesting in the abnormal curvature of the spinal column. It is a hereditary or inheritable condition. However, scoliosis may also be the result of a degenerative disease or condition affecting the spine. Symptoms include general fatigue along with physical abnormalities, including leaning, one hip or shoulder being higher than the other or an un-level waist.

Exercises

• Traditional resistance exercises, both weighted and using the body's weight, can alleviate some of the effects of scoliosis. The goal of these exercises is to strengthen the surrounding muscles to correct the imbalances that cause the condition.

  One-arm row: Hold a dumbbell in one hand while bending over a stability ball on your stomach. Contract the muscles of your back and "row" the weight up to your chest. Body sway should be kept to a minimum during the exercise to focus the stress on the target muscles. Perform three sets of ten repetitions with each arm.

  Upright row: While standing and holding dumbbells with your arms in front of your body, pull the dumbbells straight up towards the ceiling until they reach your shoulder or eye level. Hold for a moment, keeping your shoulders and upper back contracted with the weights under control, then lower the dumbbells slowly. Do three sets of ten repetitions.

  Lateral raise: Holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides, keep your arms straight and bring both arms out and up to shoulder height, so that your body forms a letter "T." Hold the weights at shoulder height for a moment, keeping the shoulders flexed, then slowly reverse and repeat for three sets of eight repetitions.

  Front raise: Holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms in front of your body, keep your arms locked, raising them until the weights are at shoulder height. Hold for a moment, then slowly reverse, repeating for three sets of eight.

  Back extension: Think of this as a reverse sit-up. Lie on your stomach across a stability ball. Use the muscles in your lower back to raise your head and chest as high as possible, then reverse. Repeat for two to three sets of twenty to thirty repetitions.

Pilates for Scoliosis

• In addition to traditional exercises, pilates can help. Whereas resistance exercises focus on strengthening the deficient areas, pilates both strengthens and achieves optimal tissue length by working your flexibility.

  Wall exercise: Standing with your back and head against the wall with your feet a few inches away from the wall, try to press the entire length of your spine against the wall by bracing your abdominal muscles and pressing your lower lumbar region backwards. Once your spine is firmly "glued" to the wall, hold that position for one to two minutes to encourage your body to adopt a more neutral spinal position while standing.

  Floor exercise: This has the same principle as the wall exercise, performed while lying down with your knees bent at a 45 to 90 degree angle. While lying down, retract your abdominal muscles and press your lower lumbar region against the floor so that your whole spine forms a straight line against the carpet. Hold for one to two minutes. To increase the difficulty, perform the same exercise with your arms outstretched above your head.

  The Spider: Facing a wall while standing about twelve inches away, hold your arms stretched overhead and "fall" toward the wall, landing on your palms. From this angled position, rise up on your toes and crawl your hands slowly up the wall, attempting to elongate your body as much as possible. At the peak position, your body should appear from the side as one straight line. Hold for 30 seconds and slowly reverse your position.