Scoliosis. . . help?

[CherryRed]

I have a mild form of scoliosis which has never really bothered me until recently.

It's an S-curve, meaning my lower spine bends slightly to the left and the top of my spine compensates by bending slightly right. The degree of curvature is low and I do not have a habit of leaning toward one side or the other. In the years since it was diagnosed I can't remember ever having felt inconvenienced by it.

However, I recently noticed that I have trouble doing some of the standing balances on my right leg. Even in the most basic asanas, it feels as though I'll fall over any second. On my left leg I feel stable and secure in most of the more challenging postures I've worked with. I've also been noticing that the left side of my lower back seems to have more pronounced muscle definition.

Is there any specific thing I can do to build strength on the right side? I really want to be able to move forward in my practice, not keep getting stuck because of my skeletal structure.

[InnerAthlete]

What is it that makes you believe the "slight" spinal curvature is related directly to the balance and strength differences you outline?

[CherryRed]

It's the only thing that makes sense. I've also discussed this with my yoga instructor and a friend's dad who happens to be a doctor, and they both agree that it's most likely due to my spinal curvature.

[CherryRed]

So no one has an answer to this?

[Mirjana]

Hi Cherry,

I can just tell you that I have the same just the opposite around. I will write down a text for you - it is from the book The Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga:
".... Scoliosis also affect the pelvic and shoulder girdles (photos in a book). For example, titling the pelvic girdle creates a perception of limb lenght discrepancy (one leg shorter than the other). Similarly, one arm may appear shorter than the other.

Scoliosis affects the bone, cartilage and muscles of the spine. Muscles on the convex side of a curve become chronically shortened when compared with those on the concave side. Yoga postures aid to counteract this process by stretching the shortened muscles.

And than it continues:

Yoga as therapy

These images of a twist (Salabhasana and Triang mukhaikapada paschimottanasana - in the book are photos), back bend and forward bend demonstrate how yoga postures contract and stretch the back muscles. This lengthens chronically shortened muscles on the concave side of the scoliotic curve while strengthening them on the convex side. This assist in balancing perceived discrepancies in limb length and may also improve nerve conduction."

So all I do is practising every day, including those two suggested poses.

Maybe you can visit the Mukunda's Yoga therapy center? I'm located in Amsterdam what makes it a bit difficult for me.

I want to tell you also that I started to meditate and I try to practise Yama and Niyama in every day life. That gives me strenght to realise more and more that I don't need a perfect body for a quality life until it is healthy and it functions well

Love, Mirjana

[CherryRed]

Thanks Mirjana. I've been practicing frequently, so I will continue to do that. It's just gotten increasingly difficult to deal with because now the left side of my back is stronger than the right. Instead of being able to isolate the muscles on the right side and work on them specifically, I struggle with trying to keep the muscles on the left from working harder to compensate for the relative weakness on the right. Stressful!

[Mirjana]

I've just typed in google/scoliosis and yoga

Lot's of information! Book, DVDs, excersises on line... Have you tried?

[InnerAthlete]

I'll merely answer the question asked.
Specifically you can hold your poses longer on the side (right) deemed to be the ones needing to be strengthened. Do three breaths on the left and 6 on the right.

There is a much larger answer to a question you have not asked

Originally Posted by CherryRed

...Is there any specific thing I can do to build strength on the right side? I really want to be able to move forward in my practice, not keep getting stuck because of my skeletal structure.

[CherryRed]

If you're suggesting that my attitude as the source of the problem, I've already considered it as a possibility. I've been able to do tons of things in the past regardless of the limitations with which I was presented. I have even pulled through situatins in which I was thoroughly convinced I would fail. It's almost as though believing I can't do something drives me to do everything in my power until I can accomplish it. In this case, regardless of what I try, I feel the problem comes from my uneven spine and not from the way I feel about it.

[InnerAthlete]

Nope I wasn't at all thinking about your attitude as no attitude was conveyed in the post.
Likewise I did not get a sense this was about your emotional issues, per se.

The larger question I was referring to was:

How do I work therapeutically in yoga with the presence of scoliosis.
But this is so invloved it is best not to go into it in this medium.

[Janet Carpenter]

Dear Cherry Red:

I have scoliosis also. I am not a physical therapist, but a long time yoga practitioner with a similar issue.

sivananda leg raise series loosens lumbar spine and hamstring and connection areas; sivananda uses repetition, breath and a meditative approach to movements. It is a mental coaxing, settling-in approach to loosening up the body. It helps balance muscles, as well.

What I have found with my scoliosis is, it is important to develop balance with developing muscles along the spine more than it is initially to develop strength.
Since this might be the case with your scoliosis, too, I have added descriptions of sivananda leg raise series, with variations that have worked for me.

start by lying on the floor with an out breath, breathe in and raise one straight leg in time with your breath. lower in time with your out breath. Do this two more times, then on the third repetition, snug your leg with your hands toward your body for five breaths (you can use a strap to reach around your leg) . If this is uncomfortable on your back, bend the extended leg on the floor so the sole of your foot is on the floor. HOld this position for at least five breaths and repeat three times. Each time you will find the muscles loosening a bit more. Consciously coordinating the breath with these movements creates a system-wide relaxation response.

Next, raise your bent knee with in breath, lower with breath out three times. The third time, hold the knee to your chest for five breaths. I like to circle the knee around to loosen the hip area here. On the next bent leg raise, raise your bended knee and then also bend your second leg and cross your first bent leg ankle across the second bent knee (a hip opener pose). Reach your hands behind that knee bringing it gently toward your chest. If you have to hunch your shoulders toward your ears or pull your shoulder blades off of the floor to do this, use a strap around the bent leg that is behind the ankle. Hold for at least five breaths. finish off the third bent leg raise repetition with restorative twists, right knee across left leg keeping right shoulder on the floor. Hold for at least five breaths.


We each are on our own separate journeys to help create balance, harmony and union between our bodies and our minds with our yoga practices.

I wish you success on your journey !

[CherryRed]

Thank you Janet! I think your post will really help me. I'll incorporate that into my practice tomorrow morning.

[Mukunda]

I have had some success with helping students with this situation. There are also graduates of my Structural Yoga Therapy course who have helped clients too. The basics of the procedure i do are in 3 steps. lst - assess clearly what specific muscles are weak and movement patterns that are below the average range of motion for the joint. From this a specific pattern of SYT is given that can be overtime compared with the initial findings to assess for progress. In general i focus on strengthening below the curves and developing the tone as much as possible. Rarely does stretching help, tone and even athletic standards of tone are what we focus on developing for 6 months to a year. As there are 4 specific patterns of scoliosis each needs individual programs. I would not give a general treatment for this or any other condition, but rather they are customized for each individual.
Then the second level is done by working the tone to change the curvature of the spinal column. I have had several students able to reduce their curves by up to 50% and make it stable in the second year of SYT. This phase often involves emotional release and counseling for a new direction in life is sometimes needed.
The third phase is long term management of the changes developed by this procedure. You can see examples of the protocols on my website Yogatherapycenter.org : : Welcome then go to SYT Papers on scoliosis. There are 50 papers posted here with detailed case studies.

namaste mukunda stiles

[Lars Rimböck]

Hey there
I have also scoliosis and it is diapearing slowly since I started practising yoga.
Afterr almost 29 years of practise the half of it is gone and there no more pain or disturbance left.
I´m looking forwrd for it to diappear completely