2° and So Much More
Celia here! I just want to share some exciting news I received this past month.
One of my clients started Pilates six months ago after finding out she had scoliosis. Since then, she’s been showing up consistently each week, doing her corrective exercises, working on posture, and practicing her scolio breathing exercises between sessions.
She recently had a follow-up X-ray, and the Cobb angle of her curve decreased by 2 degrees. Her doctor was so impressed that they asked what she had been doing and extended her follow-ups from every six months to once a year.
But beyond the X-ray, the biggest changes have been in her confidence, strength, and connection to her body.
I hear this over and over again from my scoliosis clients- how much their confidence, strength, and understanding of how to take care of their bodies have grown since starting Pilates.
With scoliosis, there can often times be embarrassment if the curves are easily seen or if there is stiffness and limited mobility associated with it. There can be confusion as to what is happening in the body and what to do about it. There can be frustration as to why normal workouts are leading to more imbalances and more pain.
I remember the first time I had a posture analysis done for myself. I had always been active and had daily yoga and running practices. And yet my posture analysis revealed one pronated and one supinated foot, a knee that liked to live in overextension, a rotated pelvis, a hip hike, one retracted and one protracted shoulder, a head shift and tilt, and the list went on. These all come from my scoliosis, but at the time, I didn’t know this, and I was so confused as to why my body had so many imbalances. I felt in the dark for a few more years because these imbalances were never associated with why I may be feeling pain in my body.
This is why I believe scoliosis needs to be part of the conversation when working one-on-one with a trainer.
With scoliosis, the spine is curved and rotated, which means symmetrical cueing isn’t always helpful. Asking both sides of the body to do the same thing can sometimes reinforce the imbalance instead of improving it.
When the curves aren’t addressed specifically, the body will naturally fall back into its strongest patterns, usually the curves themselves. Over time, this can create more tension, discomfort, compensation, and sometimes injury.
But when we work with the curves intentionally, the body has the opportunity to change. We can create space where there is tightness, build strength where there is weakness, improve body awareness, and support more balanced movement patterns.
This is why individualized work matters so much and why working with someone who understands scoliosis is important.
A trained eye can recognize the unique pattern of the curves and adjust exercises, positioning, and cueing to support what that specific body actually needs. Often it’s the smallest shifts and tailored cues that make the biggest difference.
We can keep chasing the areas where pain shows up, but if we never address the curves themselves, the pain often continues.
Understanding the spinal curves helps us understand the body’s imbalances. Without that understanding, even well-intentioned exercises can reinforce them. But with it, movement becomes more supportive, specific, and effective.
“Celia is an engaging, compassionate, and knowledgeable Pilates teacher who has helped me change my health and life. Through the years, I have worked with many health care professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and yoga and Pilates teachers, searching for help in managing my scoliosis, back pain, and shortness of breath. None of them has been able to give me any real information or help with my condition, which has gotten worse as the years go by. Celia is the first person I’ve met who is very well educated in this particular area. She has a real understanding of what to do to help me get stronger, more stable, and pain-free. After my first visit with Celia, I felt better and realized that she was going to be able to help me. With her gentle and knowledgeable guidance, I have built my core strength, which protects my spine and gives my lungs the space I need to breathe easier. I never thought that I would be able to find healing and comfort after all these years.”