What Exercises & Stretches Are Good For Scoliosis?

Patients with mild spinal curvature are often prescribed a wait-and-see approach while treating scoliosis. And during this period, they are prevented from strenuous physical activities to avoid stress on the spine. Parents, guardians or even patients thus stick to the couch and avoid exercises and stretches. But this could be detrimental to spinal health and even the treatment plan for Scoliosis.

Right exercises & stretches can help scoliosis patients

In the case of Scoliosis, only bracing is the most effective form of non-surgical treatment. And its efficiency considerably increases when supplemented with regular exercises and stretches. However, picking the right exercises and stretching is the key. While simple ones hardly help, strenuous exercises and stretches may irritate and negatively impact the treatment. The hard part here is that the choice of exercise and stretches must vary based on the age and severity of scoliosis.

If you are looking for a succinct guide on the right exercises and stretches for scoliosis then this blog is for you. With the input of a Children & Adult Spinal Surgeon in the UK Mr Jwalant S Mehta, we help you understand why exercises are good for scoliosis patients and then list out the best exercises and stretches for kids, adults and elder people.

Why are exercise and stretched are great for scoliosis patients?

Stretches improve flexibility and exercises build strength – both are beneficial for improvement in spine health and treatment outcomes. But the benefits of exercises and stretches don’t end there – they build body awareness in patients which is key for better management of scoliosis in day-to-day life.

“For patients diagnosed with scoliosis, it helps when they can develop self-awareness about their spine and posture. This will help them undergo self-correction while helping them avoid bad postures during their physical activities”, says orthopaedic specialist and spine specialist in UK Mr Jwalant S Mehta.

Best Exercises for Scoliosis

Exercises that progressively build strength and endurance in the core muscles are the best exercise that can slow the spinal curve progression. Following are some of the exercises that each age group can try out in a progressive manner:

Exercises for Kids & Teens:

Wall stands, sitting rotation stretch Bird-dog stretches, pelvic tilts, and prone plank. Cat-camel and double leg abdominal press, kettlebell suitcase deadlift & leg lift while lying on the back.

 Exercises for Adults:

Child’s pose, Seated twist, Cat/cow, kneeling hip flexor stretch & seated butterfly stretch. Adults can progressively begin their stretch by starting with any of the above stretches mentioned for kids.

Exercises for Elder Adults: 

Degeneration of spinal bones and disks may trigger spinal scoliosis in old age. The exercises for scoliosis in adults must try to improve flexibility and reduce spinal tension and then one can progress to core exercises. Adults also have a higher risk of falls so they must first start with simple exercises like wall stretch, children pose, yoga and then if possible progress to Pilates.

Exercises can only supplement the good work done by the treatment procedures. In a few cases the exercises may not help and this in most cases has to do with a lack of the right treatment procedure for Scoliosis. If you are in the UK and need more information regarding the treatment procedures for scoliosis or exercises for scoliosis you can contact Children & Adult Spinal Surgeon in UK Mr Jwalant S Mehta