Scoliosis is a curvature of the spinal column. It may be diagnosed, or it may not be. If the curvature is severe over 45% then surgery is highly recommended. But what about the rest of us?
As a young teenager I recall in middle school what I call the “Bend Over Test”. All the girls in gym class were in the “school universal swimsuits” and reaching down to our toes when called upon. The school nurse’s observation would be critical to your already awkward teen years. My scoliosis was mild. While a few others not. Even 40 years later a young early 20’s woman tells me the same story I am hearing from people in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s. Surgery with rods n fusion or braces to correct the issues. In some cases these older women sought out chiropractic care to straighten the spinal curves. Inserts from podiatrists. Physical Therapy which may have helped but not long term.
In the last year I have heard many similar stories. “Active teen and didn’t want to stop for a brace” “Multiple braces made but not wanting to wear”, “I won’t do surgery”.
I appreciated being at Erik Dalton’s workshop in July 2017. Seeing him work in person on a massage therapist that had scoliosis as a teen, now in her late 30’s. Seeing how he could gently maneuver and manually manipulate with having her engage the muscles was amazing and we saw the spine begin to straighten. After this I proceeded to follow his educational teaching path with the Freedom from Pain Institute
Combining the manual therapy of massage with the breathing of yoga to stretch the muscles and the corrective exercise as a advanced personal trainer the MAT Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy was a perfect integration for myself as a therapist. Not just helping people out of pain but into better alignment and structurally integrate movement for their body. Not the least of these being scoliosis clients.
Here is from one client.
“I found Tammy from a website I follow that provides specialized training for massage therapists when working on clients with scoliosis. I was very pleased to find that Tammy was the only person in MN to receive 9 different certifications instead of the usual 1 or 2. She took the time on my first appointment to actually ask questions and get a true health history before starting to work on me. We discussed in detail my primary issue of severe recurring back and leg pain from my scoliosis which probably caused pinched nerves and I also mentioned several minor nagging issues as well. The massage was very gentle and a different experience than the usual digging pressure type massage I was used to which sometimes caused more pain. Honestly when I walked out the door I knew I felt different but I wasn’t too sure that it had helped my pain–but as the day went on, I realized that my back pain had greatly lessened and was now minimal. Also several of the minor issues of arm, shoulder and toe pain were completely gone. That night I had the best pain-free sleep in over 2 years. I will definitely be going back to see Tammy and will recommend her to anyone suffering with pain caused by scoliosis as her training taught her that type of spinal issue needs a different type of massage in order to be beneficial.” Sandy
There is help for scoliosis beyond inserts, braces and surgery. Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy (MAT) combines gentle manipulation, alignment, stretching and strengthening and integrating for your life so that your body has less wear and tear on the bones. I love combining massage therapy, yoga training and personal training to benefit my clients and customize to their needs and body structure.
Please give me a call or schedule an appointment to see how MAT can help your alignment.