Exercises
Scoliosis Specific Exercises and Rehabilitation
How Can ScoliBalance Help?
ScoliBalance therapy is utilized by our team of therapists, physical therapists, and chiropractors as part of a complete approach to care for patients with scoliosis or kyphosis. It may assist to:
- Slow down/stop curve progression
- Aid in the reduction of flexible scoliosis curves
- Improve coronal and sagittal balance
- Complement brace wear to help maintain the correction achieved with bracing
- Improve muscular balance
- Improve spinal flexibility
- Improve posture and body appearance
- Reduce pain
- Improve standing balance and reduce fall risk in older adults.
ScoliBalance provides the patient with an individualized scoliosis specific exercise
program based on their curve type and postural characteristics that also addresses any relevant functional weaknesses.
- The patient is taught a scoliosis specific 3D posture correction (ScoliCorrection) that positions their spine in the straightest possible alignment.
- They then learn specific ScoliExercises with the aim of holding their ScoliCorrection while performing the exercises. Patients learn this program in clinic and practice at home between clinic appointments.
- As the patient becomes more familiar with the program, they are taught to integrate the ScoliCorrection into their daily activities. This helps to subconsciously train the body to hold the ScoliCorrection helping to reduce or stabilize the scoliosis curve.
- The program also often uses a ScoliRoll (for scoliosis) or Denneroll (for hyperkyphosis) to enhance the correction to the spine and posture.
For Smaller Curves
In the case of small adolescent idiopathic curves of less than 20 degrees, ScoliBalance may help to stop the curve from progressing and improve posture and body cosmetics.
For Non-Progressive Curves
ScoliBalance may also be used without bracing when a curve is non-progressive, for example, in older adolescent or young adult cases where the focus is to help improve posture, manage pain, and stabilize the spine.
How Does a ScoliBalance Program Work?
ScoliBalance is a scoliosis specific exercise program that follows the principles of the SOSORT international guidelines. In this program ScoliBalance Providers teach scoliosis specific 3D posture corrections (ScoliCorrections) so that the patient learns
how to improve their posture.
From there they are taught exercises (ScoliExercises) whereby they hold their ScoliCorrections while they perform exercises specifically prescribed for them. The program often incorporates the use of the ScoliRoll (for scoliosis) or Denneroll (for hyperkyphosis) to enhance the correction to the spine and posture.
How Often Should ScoliBalance Practice Occur?
Our therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, and ScoliBrace specialists provide each patient with an individualized home exercise program so that they can practice at home. We recommend daily practice for 20 minutes.
In addition to this the patient is often asked to use the ScoliRoll or Denneroll for up to 20-25 minutes per day (depending on each individual prescription). Adults can also be taught the ScoliBalance program however the program will be modified according to the patient’s signs and symptoms.
Can ScoliBalance Be Used for Hyperkyphosis and Scheuermann’s Disease?
Yes. In this instance the program is modified to account for the changes that are creating the increasingly kyphotic posture in the patient. In some cases, the patient may have hyperkyphosis and scoliosis and the program can also be tailored accordingly.
Adult Scoliosis
By focusing on improvements in spinal balance, ScoliBalance is effective at reducing back pain in the majority of scoliosis cases. If the curve is flexible, it may also be possible to achieve improvement to body appearance. ScoliBalance may also improve standing balance and reduce fall risk in older adults.
Degenerative Cases
While ScoliBalance is very helpful in pain management, it may also aid in slowing the progression of a degenerative curve. However where degenerative progression is present, an adult custom 3D brace should be recommended.
In Combination With Bracing…
The principles of the ScoliCorrection used in ScoliBalance are consistent with the corrective approach used in the design of ScoliCare’s custom 3D scoliosis brace.
When ScoliBalance and this brace are combined, research (2) shows that muscle endurance and spinal flexibility can be improved during treatment. Although not recommended, in cases where patients are wearing a different brace, the ScoliBalance program may help to counter the negative effects of other braces such as stiffening of the spine and muscle weakness.
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Tailored Programs for Every Person
Exercise, including both conditioning and strengthening, play a pivotal role in correcting scoliosis.
Customized physiotherapy exercise programs – such as those offered at the Scoliosis Center of Utah – help patients recover range of motion, improve biomechanics, support proper spinal curvature, and correct posture.
Using Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) principles, Dr. Katalina Dean works to tailor custom exercise programs to address each individual’s specific type and degree of curvature.
Our programs are administered by physicians trained and certified in “Mirror Image Exercises,” a cornerstone philosophy in the CBP modality.
How Can Exercise Help?
Weakening of muscles is inherent in scoliosis.
Exercise programs improve muscle strength and provide more flexibility to the spine, encouraging response to bracing.
The right exercise program can improve everyday quality of life for patients going through correction or management of their scoliosis condition.
In cases of progressive idiopathic scoliosis, in which the curve is greater than 20 degrees, rehabilitation, CBP mirror image exercises, and physiotherapy are typically not strong enough treatments by themselves.
In these cases, a ScoliBrace® many greatly enhance improvement.
Every case of scoliosis is different and needs individualized treatment.
For instance, for someone with a family history of scoliosis and a small adolescent idiopathic curve of 10 to 15 degrees, a CBP exercise program may be the most appropriate form of treatment.
Conversely, another patient with a non-progressive curve in late adolescence or middle age may need CBP rehabilitation and a ScoliBrace® to ensure the best outcome for posture improvement, stabilization, and pain reduction.
Scoliosis is most easily and successfully treated when it is detected early and treated immediately.
Development of a tailored exercise plan is the first step in helping patients regain their strength and biomechanical support.
When combined with bracing, new levels of correction are achieved because the spine and surrounding musculature are strong enough to accommodate the shift.
Working with qualified practitioners trained and certified in Biophysics (CBP) is essential to developing a corrective exercise regimen.
Improper exercise and strengthening can impede correction and may cause injury.
A CBP trained physician will be able to determine the optimal areas for strengthening and provide access to a regimen of low-impact exercises to improve the patient’s prognosis.
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