Do’s and don’ts for Scoliosis patient
Many people believe that individuals with scoliosis have very limited exercise options. While this may be true in some cases, it does not mean that scoliosis patients are entirely restricted from participating in sports or physical activities. With proper guidance and awareness, they can still engage in various forms of exercise that are safe and beneficial. Below, we will explore some important do’s and don’ts to help scoliosis patients stay active while protecting their spine.
Do’s:
- Change position frequently: static position causing the stress and fatigue on the muscles which may lead to pain. It is important to keep out of the curve.
- Keep active: have exercise which is focus on derotation is important and it helps in reducing the pain and provide stabilization to the spine
- Do some stretch: it helps in reducing the pain and discomfort. Recommended stretch included, hang on the bar as long as you can, to elongate the spine
- Improve core strength: it helps to stabilize the spine
Don’ts:
- Overuse of one side of body: it may cause uneven force used and leads to postural deviation
- Repetitive hyperextension of spine: it may cause unnatural bend to the spine and further rotate
- Repetitive shock: it may cause additional compression and stress to the spine and increase the risk of injury
- Avoid torso extension: it may cause further rotation to the spine
Can Scoliosis patient do sports?
Yes. It is good to do exercise to keep active and build up the muscles strength for supporting and stabilizing the spine and leading to a healthier attitude followed by achieve better treatment outcome.
There are a few of good exercises that we should do to keep the body active. Firstly, walking. Walking is a low impact exercise which is safe and healthy to do. It works on multiple muscles group to improve the overall flexibility and strength and the pace of walking is easily adjusted.
Other than walking, core exercise is good to do as well. It helps to strengthen and stabilize the spine and most importantly can reduce the stress on the spine. For example, planking. Planking is good as it uses the muscles symmetrically and helps in stabilization. Doing it regularly can help to address the muscle imbalance condition.
Other than this, some exercises are not suggested patient who is having scoliosis to do. It is included collision sport, exercise/sports with repetitive shock and exercise/sports with repetitive hyperextension of spine.
- Collision sport: it has repeated shock on the spine and may disrupt the overall biomechanics of the spine, impaired the ability to distribute stress of spine. For example, football, hockey, gymnastics.
- Exercise/sport with repeated hyperextension of trunk: scoliosis is a 3-dimensional condition, which involved twisting from front to back and vice versa. Any movement which has repeated upper-to-mid back extension should be avoided. For example, gymnastics, ballet, certain yoga positions (eg. Deep bend)
- Exercise/sport with repeated shock: any movement with repeated shock may cause more compression force to spine should be avoid. For example, weightlifting, horse-back riding.
In conclusion, while scoliosis may impose certain limitations, it should not discourage patients from engaging in physical activities. By understanding the appropriate exercises and avoiding harmful ones, individuals with scoliosis can still participate in sports and maintain an active lifestyle.
With proper guidance and awareness, they can find safe and enjoyable ways to stay fit while protecting their spine. So don’t hesitate to contact us to seek for our professional advice!
References:
ScoliSMART. (2023, April 15). Scoliosis Do’s and Don’ts (Scoliosis Self-Care) | Treating Scoliosis. Treating Scoliosis. https://treatingscoliosis.com/scoliosis-dos-and-donts/
Levin, S. (2023, November 6). Exercises to avoid with scoliosis (And some you should do!) in Lakewood. PostureWorks Chiropractic. https://posture-works.com/articles/exercises-to-avoid-with-scoliosis-and-some-you-should-do-in-lakewood-pw/
Irvine, P. (2021, March 30). Can you participate in sport with scoliosis? Scoliosis Clinic UK – Treating Scoliosis Without Surgery. https://scoliosisclinic.co.uk/blog/can-you-participate-in-sport-with-scoliosis/
Nalda, T., & Nalda, T. (2023, February 1). Scoliosis exercises to avoid: Which are bad for scoliosis? Scoliosis Reduction Center. https://www.scoliosisreductioncenter.com/blog/scoliosis-exercises-to-avoid
Nalda, T. (2023, December 28). Scoliosis exercises to avoid: Do *NOT* do these exercises. Dr. Tony Nalda. https://drtonynalda.com/scoliosis-exercises-to-avoid/
Clear. (2022, April 27). Scoliosis exercises to avoid: Don’t do these exercises. CLEAR Scoliosis Institute. https://clear-institute.org/blog/scoliosis-exercises-to-avoid/
Prepared by:
Wong Jing Hui
Your Physio Penang