People with scoliosis can lead fulfilling and active lives, but they need to be aware of how their condition affects spinal health and function. Practicing a spine- and scoliosis-friendly lifestyle includes a healthy activity level and knowing which types of exercise and workouts to avoid.
When it comes to working out with scoliosis, exercises to avoid are those that overuse one side of the body, strain the spine, and increase compression. Staying active keeps the spine strong, flexible, and responsive to treatment, but the wrong type of exercise can interfere with treatment.
People with scoliosis need to protect their back through postural awareness and understanding the potential benefits and risks of working out with scoliosis.
Working Out With Scoliosis
The place of exercise in scoliosis treatment speaks to the power and potential of a healthy and active lifestyle.
A scoliosis diagnosis means an unnatural spinal curve that curves to the side, and rotates, has developed, and because the spine’s healthy curves makes it stronger, more flexible, and better at shock absorption, the loss of a healthy spinal curve can have a number of adverse effects.
A spine that’s weaker is more vulnerable to injury, so certain exercises and sports should be avoided.
Scoliosis can affect all ages, but is most commonly diagnosed as adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and as scoliosis progression is triggered by growth, adolescents are the most at risk for rapid progression due to pubescent growth spurts.
In children, postural deviation is the main sign of scoliosis, and as an asymmetrical condition, scoliosis can disrupt balance, coordination, gait, and healthy movement patterns.
In adults who are no longer growing, progression is still a risk, and because scoliosis becomes compressive once skeletal maturity is reached, compressive pain can become problematic and chronic.
Once spinal degeneration starts in older adults, the onset and/or further progression of scoliosis can be triggered, and as the spine becomes increasingly unstable, activity can become more risky.
Exercises to Avoid with Scoliosis
When the spine curves and rotates unnaturally because of scoliosis, a primary effect is the development of asymmetrical posture.
As scoliosis develops and progresses, the balance of the spine is disrupted, and a misaligned spine can disrupt the balance, stability,and alignment of the entire body, particularly when severe.
Scoliosis can range in severity from mild scoliosis to moderate and severe scoliosis, and the more severe a patient’s scoliosis, the more likely activity restrictions become.
Mild cases don’t always cause noticeable symptoms and disruptions, with many patients being able to continue with their regular exercise routines, but if progression is occurring, scoliosis is severe, and/or an exercise isn’t approved by a patient’s scoliosi treatment provider, adjustments need to be made.
Exercise that doesn’t work the body’s muscles symmetrically should be avoided, along with workouts that strain the spine or involve repeated jarring motion.
Overusing One Side of the Body
Because scoliosis is an asymmetrical condition, exercises to avoid include those that overuse one side of the body.
A common effect of scoliosis is a muscular imbalance caused by the spine’s unnatural curve and twist straining the spine’s surrounding muscles unevenly. As muscles on one side of the spine are working excessively to counteract the spine’s unnatural pull, muscles on the opposite side are becoming weak from lack of use.
Exercise and workouts that focus on one side of the body can exacerbate the condition’s asymmetrical effects and postural deviation, so activities such as tennis, bowling, and golf should be avoided.
A healthy scoliosis workout has to engage the spine’s surrounding muscles symmetrically, and/or be targeted to specially address a muscular imbalance.
Straining the Spine
A scoliotic spine is weaker and more vulnerable to strain and injury, particularly once scoliosis becomes compressive in adulthood.
Because the spine has developed an unnatural spinal curve, its ability to absorb shock and evenly distribute mechanical stress throughout the spine is disrupted, so workouts that involve dead lifting heavy weights straight over the head can increase compressive pressure on the spine.
Placing the spine in unnatural positions can also strain the spine and further disrupt its alignment. As scoliosis develops and progresses, certain vertebral bodies are becoming more unnaturally tilted, and exercise and workouts that further disrupt the spine’s healthy position can trigger curve progression and interfere with treatment.
Activities that involve unnaturally arching and/or hyperextending the spine aren’t generally approved for scoliosis patients because it can flatten the spine’s natural curve and increase its rotational component, and excessive arching can also increase asymmetries and imbalances in the spine and its surroundings.
Patients need to be aware of the appropriate workouts, exercises, and sports for their particular case; activity recommendations, restrictions, and modifications need to be customized.
Compression and Repeated Shock
Workouts and exercise that increase compression through repeated jarring motions are generally not recommended for scoliosis patients.
As a compressive condition, a goal of scoliosis treatment is to counteract compression, so activities that increase compression can interfere with treatment.
Repeated jarring motions increase pressure which can contribute to curve progression, exacerbate symptoms, and cause pain.
Any exercise that causes pain and that hasn’t been pre-approved by a patient’s scoliosis treatment provider should be avoided.
Safe Exercise for Scoliosis
People with scoliosis need to stay active; regular exercise can have a number of therapeutic benefits, which is why the corrective potential of scoliosis-specific exercise is at the center of nonsurgical scoliosis treatment.
Staying active can improve bone health, weight, muscle strength and endurance, mobility, and mental health.
In the context of scoliosis, exercise and consistent workouts can improve pain, spinal flexibility for treatment responsiveness, increasing muscle strength and balance for spinal support and stability, and is important for mental health.
Because scoliosis is progressive and can alter a person’s appearance and mobility, mental health can suffer, particularly in the most common age group affected: adolescents.
Mental Health Benefits
Young adults can already be vulnerable to low self esteem and body-image issues as part of typical adolescence, and when adolescence involves a scoliosis diagnosis and related changes to posture, the potential mental health effects should be considered.
Exercise is often described as “nature’s antidepressant” due to its mood-enhancing benefits, and improvements to mindset and mental health make patients better able to handle living with, and treating, scoliosis.
Improving Muscle Endurance and Balance
Safe exercises for scoliosis work the body symmetrically and improve core strength for more support, stability, and to increase spinal flexibility for pain relief and treatment efficacy.
Targeted exercise can be applied to address a muscular imbalance by strengthening weak muscles and relaxing overused muscles.
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