Exercises for spinal scoliosis at home

Curvature of the spine is treated comprehensively, but the leading role in this process is given to physical therapy. The active impact on the muscle corset that physical exercise has makes it possible to slow down the progression of the disease and subsequently completely eliminate deformities. Let's look at what exercises you need to do for spinal scoliosis, how to perform them correctly, and whether they have contraindications.

What are the benefits of therapeutic exercises?

Therapeutic gymnastics is not just a sport or fitness, but a real medical discipline.
It is developed taking into account the physiological characteristics of a person and helps restore or strengthen the patient’s health and effectively recover from injuries. If you follow the rules and recommendations of physical therapy, you can:

restore lost functions;
increase the strength and endurance of the body;
adapt the patient;
improve mental functioning;
improve the functioning of organs and vital systems of the body.

For scoliosis, therapeutic exercises are necessary to prevent further development of the disease and complications. By doing the exercises, you will maintain the health and mobility of your spine for many years.

Types of loads

The widest range of exercises is used in the treatment of scoliosis. This is due to the asymmetric load on the paravertebral muscles. Therefore, your exercise therapy complex should include the following types of exercises:

asymmetrical. During exercises, only one side of the body works, the other is at rest at this moment. Then change sides;
symmetrical. Aimed at restoring proper muscle tone, which will allow the spine to return to its stable position;
detorsion. Aimed at relaxing muscles clamped by spasms and strengthening atrophied ones;
restorative. Aimed at improving general physical condition.

Also, all loads can be divided by degree of intensity. The complex begins with simple warm-up exercises. They increase blood circulation, warm up the muscles, prepare them for further stress and help avoid sprains. Then comes the most intense block. All muscle groups have maximum impact. The training ends with relaxation exercises. They help normalize breathing and heartbeat, allowing the body to smoothly exit the activity phase.

Contraindications

The following types of exercises are not recommended for scoliosis:

Fast running is contraindicated in stages 3 and 4 of the disease;
Exercises performed on one leg;
The lotus position is contraindicated;
somersaults due to the high risk of injury;
Dancing and gymnastics;
Exercises with vertical axial load;
Fast sports games such as football, badminton, tennis due to the large number of sudden movements.

You should also exclude all exercises that put a lot of stress on the spine.

Features of the disease and statistics

Disorders in the structure of the spine are diagnosed in approximately 30% of the population. In the early stages, especially in children under 15 years of age, scoliosis can be successfully corrected with the help of exercise therapy.

The following signs indicate a possible curvature of the spine:

pain when taking a deep or sharp breath;
frequent dizziness;
sleep disorders;
impaired coordination of movements;
digestive problems;
diseases of internal organs;
frequent nausea;
decreased activity, weakness.

In children, the disease may be accompanied by nervousness, absent-mindedness, loss of appetite, lethargy and forgetfulness, and problems with school performance.

Pathology can be caused by:

congenital and genetic abnormalities;
injuries;
previous illnesses accompanied by prolonged bed rest;
deformities of the lower extremities;
osteochondrosis (including in children);
rickets;
poor posture when sitting or walking;
physical inactivity.

In the younger generation, curvature of the spine usually occurs due to bad habits: incorrect sitting posture, carrying luggage on one shoulder.

Victory over scoliosis is quite possible, especially if the disease is diagnosed at the beginning of its development. However, for this you need to fully comply with all medical prescriptions: devote the required amount of time to exercise therapy, not refuse physiotherapeutic procedures, and take prescribed medications.

Rules for performing exercises

First and most importantly, if discomfort occurs during the exercise, you should immediately return to the starting position and finish the exercise. Otherwise, injury may occur.

In order for classes to bring only benefits, a number of rules should be followed:

Be sure to warm up before training;
Perform the exercises slowly and smoothly. Sudden and fast movements can harm you;
Avoid heavy lifting during rehabilitation. Because of this, scoliosis may worsen;
The main thing in exercise therapy for scoliosis is stretching and static strengthening of muscles, not only in the spinal area, but throughout the body;
Do not engage in amateur activities: only a rehabilitation specialist can select the correct set of exercises.

If these rules are followed, therapeutic exercises will bring fairly quick and positive results.

Causes of scoliosis in children

Scoliosis is most often diagnosed in adolescents, because it is at this age that intensive bone growth and body elongation occur. Moreover, at this age scoliosis will already be more pronounced.

As a rule, in preschool age or elementary school, parents are not particularly worried about the curvature of the child’s spine, and only in adolescence do they begin to sound the alarm, when the disease is visible to the naked eye.

It is impossible to name the causes of scoliosis as such. An exact answer to this question has not yet been found, but the most common causes of the development of the disease in children are considered to be the following:

Low mobility of the child;

Incorrect position at the table or desk when working;

Professional passion for tennis, badminton and other sports in which one side is involved to a greater extent;

Congenital changes in the vertebral regions;

Cerebral palsy;

Previous diseases and infections that caused degenerative changes in bone tissue;

Metabolic processes have been disrupted in bone tissue;

Suffering injuries followed by amputation of limbs.

Interesting fact: After heart surgery, children may also develop scoliosis. But this is very rare.

Exercises for scoliosis

A set of exercises is selected depending on the type of scoliosis:

C-shaped - the back is curved in an arc with a skew to the left or right;

S-shaped - the back is curved at two points;

Z-shaped is the most severe case: the spine is curved at three points and is very difficult to treat.

In addition, there are 4 stages of disease development. Exercise therapy will bring the greatest effect at stage 1 of the C- and S-shaped type. At stage 2, the help of a good rehabilitation specialist is required. At stage 3, a person requires a support corset. At stage 4, gymnastics will not bring any results - surgical intervention is required.

Below you will find several options for basic exercises. Each must be done several times. Before doing this, be sure to consult your doctor!

On the back

Exercise 1. Lie on your back, put your head on the floor, stretch your arms behind your head. Bend your knees and pull them towards your chest. Return to the starting position. Repeat several times.

Exercise 2. To stretch the muscles: grab your legs under your knees with your hands, pull them towards your chest. Place your chin between your knees.

On the stomach

Exercise 1. Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms forward. Tighten your abs and buttocks, slowly raise your arms up while lifting your shoulder blades.

Exercise 2. Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms forward. Raise your right arms and left leg at the same time. Return to the starting position and then lift your left arm and right leg.

Stages of training

Any exercise therapy complex begins with a warm-up. The goal of this stage is to improve microcirculation in the muscles and ligaments, making them more elastic and ready for stress. And also great importance at the warm-up stage is given to proper breathing.

The second stage is the main one. At this stage, exercises are performed aimed at correcting pathological curvature in one or another part of the spine. Symmetrical and asymmetrical physical exercises are performed, as well as coordination exercises. The final stage. At this stage, the load is reduced, the heart rate and breathing rhythm are restored.

Symptoms and diagnostic methods

The degree of pathology is determined after examining the patient and radiographic examination in several projections.

Deformities of the spinal column in first-degree scoliosis are difficult to diagnose without special testing. Upon visual examination of the patient, it is noticeable that the shoulder and scapula on the right side are slightly raised, the midline moves to the side when the back is tilted. Subjectively, the patient may complain of rapid fatigue after physical activity or as a result of being in an uncomfortable position.

In the second degree of the disease, upon visual examination the following is noted:

noticeable stoop;
one of the shoulder blades lowered down;
uneven waist;
asymmetry of the lower ribs on the left and right relative to each other;
torticollis;
muscle roll on the back.

Patients with this degree of scoliosis suffer from recurrent pain in the chest, especially after playing sports or prolonged static immobility. There may be complaints of numbness and tingling in the hands.

It is not difficult the third degree of scoliosis by visual examination Well visible:

deformation of the chest and spine with curvature to the right;
shoulder blade and rib protruding from the right side;
distorted pelvic area.

At this stage of the disease, cardiac dysfunction and pulmonary failure are noted: the patient complains of arrhythmia and shortness of breath.

The fourth stage of the disease is severe disfigurement of the torso, characterized by formed anterior and posterior costal humps, deformation of the chest and pelvis. On the part of the cardiovascular system, acute insufficiency is noted. External manifestations of the disease often cause depression and other psychological problems for patients.

What is exercise therapy?

Exercise therapy, or physical therapy in other words , is a special method of correction, prevention and rehabilitation of diseases. Depending on the patient’s problems, a set of physical exercises is specially selected for him, which can bring the body back to normal or protect it from unwanted changes and pathologies.

The essence of the method

The method of physical therapy is quite simple and has been known since ancient times: when performing a certain set of physical exercises, one of the main biological functions of our body is activated - movement . It is movement that is the determining moment for the proper growth, development and formation of our body as a whole.

Exercise therapy is based on performing the simplest physical exercises that need to be done from early childhood.

For each person, physical therapy is selected individually and takes into account the characteristics of his body, as well as existing diseases or abnormalities. This is why it is so effective in recovery after surgery or for correcting skeletal deformities.

Important! Based on all of the above, you could understand that physical therapy should be selected by a specialist after examining your body. If you self-medicate and choose exercises that you think are suitable for your case, then there is a high risk of getting unwanted injuries or aggravating existing problems in the body.

Video: “Scoliosis in children”

On a note

Only gymnastics can return the curvature to physiological norms, but treatment will be effective only if correct posture is maintained throughout the day. To test yourself, just touch the wall with 4 points (head, shoulder blades, buttocks, heels).

By following your doctor's recommendations and performing therapeutic exercises, you can correct your posture and prevent the development of kyphosis of the cervical spine.

Kyphosis, cervical kyphosis, sports, exercise