Who is Scolio-Pilates for?

Scolio-Pilates® can help you manage your scoliosis wherever you are in your scoliosis journey. We have worked with young, mature, braced, unbraced, fused, and unfused. We will be able to guide you through your journey to a stronger you!

Kids & Teens

Has your child just been diagnosed with scoliosis? Feeling overwhelmed? It’s going to be ok. Relax and take a deep breath. You are doing a great job being an advocate for your child! Scoliosis-specific exercises, like Scolio-Pilates®, are something you can do in the observation and bracing phases of scoliosis management. If surgery is needed, then you’ll have the strongest body possible before and after.

On your first Scolio-Pilates visit, we will find exercises that work for your child, not only physically, but mentally—what’s interesting, what are they interested in doing, and how can we make the exercises fit into their lives? At the end of the visit, they will have exercise homework. A lot of this homework can be done while in class, standing in line at school, at their sporting activities, or in art/STEM activities. We will also give your child exercises they can do on the floor in front of the television while relaxing at the end of the day. The exercises are meant to work into their day, so they aren’t adding one more thing to an already hectic schedule.  To make things a bit easier, be sure to ask your Scolio-Pilates Practitioner about the Home Exercise Program Handbook. This will help your child remember their exercises and will have detailed notes about how they should do individual exercises. We are excited to meet your child and to help them find the strength that comes with having scoliosis. We are here to help.

Fused

Can you do Scolio-Pilates if you are fused? Yes. Absolutely, yes!

The focus does change but not as much as you’d think. With fusion, we are still looking for the changes in the spine that show up above and below the fusion. Within the fusion, we focus on the ribs, breathing, and rotation.

We will look at your X-ray together and then decide the best course of action based on your history with your fusion and your goals. It’s always about the goals! What is it that you want to do? Is your spine preventing that? We will work to create strength to support your fusion, but we will also look at nuanced changes to allow the structure supporting the fusion to rest, to work less hard, to “let go,” and allow the support from surrounding tissues to take over part of the job.

Scoliosis-specific corrections will be very helpful in releasing tight tissues, creating balance, and relieving tension in your body.

Learn more about scoliosis surgery here.

Adults

Whether you were diagnosed as a child or your diagnosis just came in for scoliosis, we are very happy to show you the success you can have with pain reduction and increased function and mobility with scoliosis. Regardless of age, you can make changes with scoliosis. Let’s get your life back. We want you to get back in the mountains, on your bike, on the water, and definitely, back in the garden.

We will create a program that allows your spine to work “less hard” to support these changes – giving the tissues a chance to take a break from working so hard can mean less stress, strain, and pain. What does this look like in practice? Scoliosis-specific corrections in a Scolio-Pilates program with wedges to nudge the spine towards center and exercises to strengthen in that position.  We will move from one exercise to the next: Breathing to lying on your back and your stomach. But as always with Scolio-Pilates, your body, and your needs will dictate the path.

Braced

Bring your spine; bring your brace! Generally, we will take the brace off for our sessions so we can strengthen the spine without external support. And sometimes, we will even exercise in the brace so that you can have that support. When you first learn to live in the brace, we can help you lift up and out of the brace, so you feel more comfortable and have more space. We also like to do a little breathing exercise or two while wearing the brace, so you don’t feel stuck.

On your first session, please bring your brace. We’d like to see how it fits and how you are moving in the brace. Then we will take it off to do your Scolio-Pilates program: take pictures, exercise, and generally move and strengthen. In subsequent visits, it’s always good to have the brace in case we decide we need to spend some time moving while wearing the brace. We can help you troubleshoot how to navigate through movement with the brace – whether it’s getting up and down or running and playing, we’ve got your back. And so does your brace!

Learn more about bracing here.

Are you ready to get started with Scolio-Pilates? It all begins with signing up and taking control. See all our program options!

Who is Scolio-Pilates for?