Moving According to Our Curves - Pilates for Scoliosis
By Celia Willson
For many of us with scoliosis, the experience of being diagnosed is surprisingly brief. We’re told we have it, and shortly after we’re told there isn’t much to be done- bracing if we’re still young and the curves are large enough or surgery if and when it gets severe enough. Beyond that, there is often very little information or guidance about how to actually care for our spines or how to move our bodies through daily functions.
What’s rarely discussed is how much scoliosis affects the rest of the body. It isn’t just a spinal condition. Scoliosis can influence everything from the feet up to the head impacting the skeletal system, muscles, organs, breathing, sleep, balance, digestion, and more. On top of that, scoliosis typically progresses with age. We can be diligent about our health- eating well, staying active, exercising consistently and still find that our curves progress over time, continuing to affect how our bodies feel and function.
I found out I had scoliosis when I was around 13 years old. Over the years, I experienced injury after injury, always skeletal. At the time, I never connected those injuries to my scoliosis. To be honest, I didn’t truly understand my spine at all. For nearly 30 years, I believed I had only one curve (I actually have multiple), and I even thought that curve went in the opposite direction. Now at the age of 43, my scoliosis is starting to affect me more on a daily basis.
End of 2024, working with an experienced Pilates teacher who was confident in her knowledge of scoliosis, was the first time my curves were actually seen and corrected. I suddenly felt exercises that I knew well in a whole new way that felt really good in my body. This led to a deep dive into studying scoliosis and what I’m learning now is both eye opening and fascinating.
With scoliosis, we need to move our bodies according to our curves and each curve creates a different set of needs on each side of the body. Scoliosis is unique to the individual, and the corrections and exercises should be as well. Movement, therefore, needs to be specific and intentional.
When we begin to understand what is actually happening in our own bodies, it changes everything. That understanding informs how we move during workouts, how we stand, sit, breathe, and function in daily life. With the right information, I believe we can help slow the progression of scoliosis and reduce the pain that often comes with it.
With scoliosis, knowledge truly is power.
