Keep scoliosis symptoms at bay with yoga

Have you been told you have scoliosis? Many people, myself included, have been told they have scoliosis at some time in their lives. What is scoliosis? Dr. Edward Kahn is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in spine and seeing patients here in Crossville. I asked Dr. Kahn about scoliosis and here are some of his thoughts.

Dr. Kahn: Adult scoliosis comes in two flavors: degenerative scoliosis that develops as one gets older and adolescent scoliosis that first develops in the teenage years. The degenerative scoliosis usually involves the lumbar spine and its underlying cause is arthritis. It therefore tends to be painful and a frequent reason for seniors to seek medical care. Adolescent scoliosis may have been mild or major and may or may not be symptomatic in adulthood.

A lot of people are told in their youth that they have scoliosis and they carry it with them for years. It may have been told to them during a school screening when they were told to bend over and a nurse looked at their back. In truth most people have a small curve to their backs and while that may technically be called a “scoliotic curve,” in truth it is just a minor variation of a normal spine and is not likely to cause any pain or problems. Yet some people grasp this diagnosis as the cause of their back pain when in truth it may have nothing to do with it.

For many adults it is the degenerative or arthritic curvature of their back which is the pain generator. If bad enough it can cause pinched nerves and spinal stenosis and require surgical intervention. However for most people it can be managed by maintaining flexibility of the spine, core strengthening and anti-inflammatory medication. Yoga is an excellent way to maintain the flexibility and muscle tone needed to keep the symptoms of this problem at bay.

Cat: Yoga can help people who suffer with scoliosis and the resultant back pain. Many yoga poses focus on lengthening and strengthening the spine and core. This lengthening and strengthening will create more balance in the spine and release tension in the back muscles. A strong core is vital for back challenges. Most yoga classes have a strong focus on the core. In my yoga classes there are always poses and flows that work the mid-section. Creating a strong core helps when you have pain but it can also help prevent pain. 

It is important to work with a trained yoga practitioner who can give you modifications to help with these poses. Yoga is not a cure-all but yoga can give you mental and physical exercises that can help with the challenges that scoliosis present.



Source : Cross Ville, 17th April 2016