Do you have scoliosis?
If you’re like me, when you hear that question you may automatically answer “Nope!”
You likely think back to the day in middle school where you placed your hands in front of your chest and rolled down and the school nurse or a parent on the PTA said, “All good, no scoliosis!”
Did you know that being told you don’t have scoliosis in your youth doesn’t mean it didn’t or can’t develop later in life?
It’s even possible that you’re living with back pain caused by scoliosis and you may not even realize it.
This is not meant to be cause for alarm. Rather, this article intends to highlight what scoliosis really is and what can be done to help address the pain, discomfort, and even altered function that can result from scoliosis.
In order to bring awareness to scoliosis and how symptoms can be addressed, we are interviewing an expert, Karena Thek!
About Karena Thek, Founder, Scolio-Pilates
Karena Thek is the founder of Scolio-Pilates and the author of three books, ScolioPilates, OsteoPilates, and The Pilates Golf Athlete.
Karena’s experience in utilizing movement and exercise as “medicine” is extensive. She’s worked with the Wounded Warrior Battalion at the San Diego Naval Medical Center in the Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care Unit (C5 Unit).
Additionally, she served as the director of Pilates at SCV Therapy Services in Valencia, California for 10 years.
In 2017, Karena brought her Scolio-Pilates program to Dayton Children’s Hospital. In doing so, she is helping to pave a new path in medical management of scoliosis from the previous treatment models of observation, bracing, and surgery to a holistic, three-dimensional exercise program that empowers individuals with scoliosis to be able to take control of their health and well-being.
Karena’s Goal: “To ensure that everyone living with scoliosis knows that there is a lot of hope. You can Really Live with scoliosis.”
Check out this video of a 5 minute Scolio-Pilates workout with Karena Thek HERE!
Interview with Karena Thek, Founder of Scolio-Pilates
1. Please tell us about yourself. What’s your background and how did
you come to learning about scoliosis and creating Scolio-Pilates?
I created Scolio-Pilates as a way to care for my own spine. It really
wasn’t meant to become a “thing”. I just was not willing to accept that
the pain I was experiencing was how I was to live my life.
I began sleuthing through my own body’s experiences and found that the
techniques were the first relief I had had in such a long time. Next, I asked for anyone with scoliosis to come see me so that we could continue to sleuth through solutions.
I volunteered my time for almost two years to continue researching the techniques for creating a scoliosis-specific exercise. In reality, the research is still ongoing. Every
scoliosis spine offers new lessons and great insight.
2. Let’s start with some basics, what is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is defined as a torsional deformity of the spine with a Cobb angle of greater
than 10-degrees and where rotation of the spine can be recognized in a radiograph.
3. Many of us did the test in high school where we bend down and the nurse checks our spine. If we didn’t have scoliosis then, we don’t have it now, correct?
No, unfortunately, there are lots of reasons to develop scoliosis later in life. Scoliosis that develops after the age of 18, or de novo scoliosis, is very common.
4. If someone has scoliosis, it’s obvious, right?
Not usually.
I was accused recently of lying about having scoliosis because my spine looks so good. I wasn’t sure if I should have been insulted or throw a party. Haha!
A scoliosis is generally most obvious to the professionals that work with scoliosis, but I wouldn’t expect anyone else to be able to recognize the subtle asymmetries that
accompany scoliosis.
I mean why would they? It would be like asking me to pick up the notes in a wine that only a sommelier can sense.
5. If someone isn’t sure if they have scoliosis, how can they find out?
If you have a concern, then you can make an appointment with an
orthopedist or orthopedic surgeon. Go straight to the specialist- you’ll save time and frustration.
6. Why is it important to know if one has a scoliosis?
It isn’t actually important to know.
Lots of people have scoliosis and will never know. The only reason most of us learn we have scoliosis is because someone has noticed an asymmetry in our back or
because we have back pain.
Both of those situations will lead us to seek answers, and sometimes that answer is scoliosis.
If you are having back pain, it can be helpful to know if the root cause is a scoliosis. Then preparing a plan, especially an exercise plan, can be more precise, accurate and effective.
7. The terms “structural curve” and “functional curve” are used when speaking about scoliosis, could you tell us what those terms mean?
Sure, the difference is in the mobility of the tissues.
A functional curve will move back to a straight line when we ask the spine to elongate, as in traction.
A structural curve will not.
8. How does/can scoliosis impact the body?
The impact of scoliosis can act on a varying degree from no effect to a great effect in terms of muscle strain/pain as well as heart, lung, and digestive system implications.
Even though scoliosis is considered a deformity of the spine, a system-wide change of pattern occurs.
9. Does scoliosis always cause back pain?
We see a direct correlation at all ages to scoliosis and pain.
However, having said this, there are lots and lots of people with scoliosis without pain.
The reason we see it as a direct correlation is because the scoliosis-specific exercises are effective, where a general back pain program of exercise is not.
10. Does posture/postural habits cause scoliosis?
No, scoliosis is a result of the change in the shape of the bones of the spine.
It is not a result of a postural decision.
11. Is scoliosis common amongst older adults?
Very common.
Approximately one-third of post-menopausal women have been found to have a lumbar scoliosis.
12. Can scoliosis be cured/fixed?
No, not in the sense that you can cure a cold or the flu.
Scoliosis is a part of us, a part of our spine story.
Exercise, bracing, and surgery all act to try to bring the spine closer to a more physiologically normal alignment, but none cure the scoliosis. It is still there, so managing scoliosis is the key.
13. What is Scolio-Pilates and how does it affect scoliosis?
Scolio-Pilates is a scoliosis-specific exercise that works to address the tissue changes that occur with scoliosis.
Even small changes in the relationship of these tissues can cause immense pain relief, leading to a lot more time doing what we love.
14. There seems to be many myths out there about treating scoliosis. Ideas like lay on the side of your curve to put it “back in place”. Why are these “treatments” ineffective?
Great question.
These myths are looking at scoliosis in only one dimension. We need to address scoliosis in three dimensions.
In addition, the “lying on the side of the curve” technique, is an especially poor choice as it further increases rotation in the ribcage and spine.
15. As a therapist, I admittedly neglected scoliosis in the past, meaning I didn’t realize specific exercises could help with scoli. Why is it so important that scoliosis is addressed/treated?
If we are able to address scoliosis before the curve reaches 25-degrees, evidence shows that scoliosis-specific exercise, like Scolio-Pilates, can actually work to reduce the curve.
Once diagnosed, it is important that scoliosis is tracked to see if the curve continues to get worse or stabilizes.
As the curve worsens, the concern for heart, lung, and digestive health implications rises.
16. Many of my clients have noticed they’ve developed a “hump” on their upper back, does scoliosis play a role in that and can something be done about it?
Depends on what “hump” you mean.
If you mean in the center of the spine, no, that is often a fatty deposit or maybe you are referring to a kyphosis.
With scoliosis, there is a definite rise/fall (convex/concave) pattern when we compare one side of the back to the other.
The rise pattern is unfortunately, sometimes referred to as a “hump”. If this rise pattern is on one side of the body only, this is a strong indicator for scoliosis.
17. If someone has scoliosis, how/where can they find Scolio-Pilates practitioners?
On our website! (Check it out HERE!)
We have a listing of practitioners. All of these authorized practitioners have been through extensive training in order to be able to provide expert scoliosis specific exercise guidance.
18. Is there anything else you would like readers to know about
scoliosis and Scolio-Pilates?
Finding answers for scoliosis isn’t always easy, but the search is worth it.
You really can feel better.
This isn’t a sales job, you actually can feel better. We’ve seen it over and over again.
If you are suffering with scoliosis, talk to someone.
We are here to help.
