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This document discusses how yoga can help ease pain from scoliosis. It defines scoliosis as a lateral curvature of the spine and rotation of vertebrae. For the author, only yoga had helped with pain from scoliosis resulting from a childhood accident. The document then provides details on scoliosis types and recommends yoga poses to lengthen the spine, including child's pose, triangle pose, and warrior I pose. It advises modifying poses based on the scoliosis curve to create more evenness and open compressed ribs.
This document discusses how yoga can help ease pain from scoliosis. It defines scoliosis as a lateral curvature of the spine and rotation of vertebrae. For the author, only yoga had helped with pain from scoliosis resulting from a childhood accident. The document then provides details on scoliosis types and recommends yoga poses to lengthen the spine, including child's pose, triangle pose, and warrior I pose. It advises modifying poses based on the scoliosis curve to create more evenness and open compressed ribs.
This document discusses how yoga can help ease pain from scoliosis. It defines scoliosis as a lateral curvature of the spine and rotation of vertebrae. For the author, only yoga had helped with pain from scoliosis resulting from a childhood accident. The document then provides details on scoliosis types and recommends yoga poses to lengthen the spine, including child's pose, triangle pose, and warrior I pose. It advises modifying poses based on the scoliosis curve to create more evenness and open compressed ribs.
Illustrations by Alexander Laurant. Photograhs by !red Sti"son WITH REGULAR PRACTICE, YOU CAN EASE THE PAIN OF A CROOKED BACK AND TURN IT INTO A POWERFUL TEACHER.
#he dull a$hing on the right side o% "y "id&ba$' (as %a"iliar. Sitting at "y des' all day (or'ing on in$o"e taxes (as not only dulling "y "ind) it (as $reating a ain in "y body that I $ould no longer ignore. So I got u and headed %or the 'it$hen. Stu%%ing "y %a$e (as al(ays a *ui$' solution %or the ains and roble"s o% li%e. As I grabbed %or the %ood) it o$$urred to "e) +Not only a" I in ain) I," do(nright deressed- +#hough I 'ne( taxes (ere not al(ays an enlightening tas') I hadn,t reali.ed that "y (hole sy$he (as besieged by negati/ity. Was "y negati/e attitude a%%e$ting "y already /ulnerable ba$' or (as it the other (ay around0 Either (ay) eating (as not going to sol/e the roble". I 'ne( o% only one solution %or "y sas"ed ba$' and negati/e attitude. !or years) only yoga had heled "e $oe (ith the ain I had li/ed (ith al"ost all "y li%e. At 12 "onths) I had %allen do(n a stee %light o% base"ent stairs. Initially) the %a"ily hysi$ian thought I had only bro'en "y nose. 3ears later) I %ound out that "y ribs had been 'no$'ed out o% osition %ro" the a$$ident) (hi$h gradually $reated a lateral $ur/ature o% the sine $alled a s$oliosis. Figure 1 Scoliosis is characterized by a lateral curvature of the spine, and rotation of the affected vertebrae toward the side of the concavity. The ribs are compressed on the side of concavity and spread apart on the convex side. Figure 2 In a right thoracic scoliosis, the major scoliosis is concentrated in the thoracic (mid bac! region and the spine curves to the right. WHAT IS SCOLIOSlS? "erhaps the most dramatic of spinal aberrations, scoliosis appears in cave paintings of prehistoric man and was first treated with braces by the #ree physician $ippocrates in the fourth century %.#, &ot only does it create spinal deformity and rib displacement, it twists the shoulders and hips and shifts the body's center of gravity. Its most obvious symptoms are cosmetic, but pain and cardiopulmonary complications (due to compression of the heart and lungs! are also common. The word (scoliosis( is derived from the )ree word sol, which means twists and turns. In scoliosis, the spine forms an S curve (or reversed S! from side to side down the bac, and at the same time the bac of the spine rotates toward the concave side of the S, twisting the rib cage and maing the sides of the bac uneven. (To observe this effect, bend a hose into an S shape and observe how it rotates at the same time.! "articularly when this curvature occurs in the mid* bac region, the ribs compress on the concave side of the spine and spread apart on the convex side (+igure ,!. -n the concave side, the attached ribs are pushed sideways and forward, while on the convex side, they collapse toward the spine and move bac, thus forming the characteristic rotation of the rib cage. The ribs on the convex side often protrude posteriorly, and over this protrusion there fre.uently develops a tense, painful mass of muscle tissue. FOUR MAJOR SCOLIOSIS CURVES #urvature can tae place anywhere in the spinal column but generally follows four common patterns. In a right thoracic scoliosis (+igure /! , the major scoliosis is concentrated in the thoracic (mid* bac! region, and the spine curves to the right. (There may also be a counter curve to the left in the lumbar region, but this curve is less severe.! In a left lumbar scoliosis (+igure 0!, the major curve is to the left and is concentrated in the lumbar (lower bac! region, though, as shown in the diagram, there may be a less extreme counter curve to the right in the thoracic region. 1 third type of scoliosis is the right thoraco* lumbar (+igure 2! , where the major curve is to the right in the thoracic and lumbar region. The last type of curvature (+igure 3! is the right thoracic*left lumbar combined curve, where the major curve is to the right in the thoracic region, with an e.ual counter curve to the left in the lumbar region. +or unnown reasons, 45 percent of thoracic and double curves are right convexity (curve to the right!6 75 percent of the thoraco*lumbar curves also are right convexity6 and 85 percent of the lumbar curves are left convexity. Seven times as many women as men have scoliosis. STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL SCOLIOSIS Scoliosis can be either structural or functional. The structural !igure 4 !igure 5 !igure 6 !igure 17 !igure 11 8In$orre$t9 YOGA POSES FOR LENGTHENING THE SPINE 9hen beginning to practice yoga, the most important movement is lengthening the spine. This movement will create more evenness in the spine and ribs and release tension in the muscles of the bac. #at:#ow "ose. 1t the start of a practice period, loosening the spine with the breath is important to prevent injury, particularly at the apex of the scoliosis. ;neel with the hands below the shoulders and the nees below the hips. Inhaling, lift the head and tailbone, maing the lower bac concave. <xhale and tuc the tailbone, rounding the bac and releasing the nec (+igure 8! . =epeat at least ,5 times. >ajrasana (#hild's "ose!. 1fter completing the exhalation in the #at:#ow "ose, stretch the hands out in front. Inhale deeply into the bac, particularly the concave side where the ribs are compressed. <xhale and move the buttocs bac halfway toward the heels. Inhale, and stretch the arms and the pelvis away from each other, with the upper bac following the arms and the lower bac following the pelvis (+igure 7!. %reathe into this position, feeling the intercostal muscles stretching between the ribs and the spine and bac muscles lengthening. To help stretch the compressed ribs on the concave side, move the arms toward the convex side, eeping the arms shoulder*width apart. &otice how this movement maes the bac more even (+igure 4!. ?ter breathing into this position for a minute, move the buttocs all the way bac to the heels and relax the arms by your side. =elax the entire body. Three-Part Bar Stretch. This pose may be done at a dance bar or at home on a porch railing, sin, or wherever you can grab onto something and pull. ,. )rab onto the bar with hands shoulder*distance apart and wal the feet bac until the spine is parallel to the floor and the feet are directly under the hips. &ow bring the heels forward to the position where the toes were and hang bacwards, bending from the hips and stretching the buttocs away from the bar (+igure , 5!. ;eep the nec in line with the spine, not allowing the chin to lift up. +eel the entire spine being lengthened by the pull. /. %ring the feet in a few inches toward the bar and bend the nees into a right angle, with the thighs parallel to the floor and the nees directly above the heels. #ontinue to stretch the buttocs down and bacwards. This particularly stretches the mid*bac below and to the sides of the shoulder blades. !igure 1: !igure 1; !igure 1< 0. 9al the feet forward a few inches farther to allow the heels to remain on the floor. @et the buttocs move down toward the floor in a s.uat. &ow pull bac, eeping the buttocs down, and feel the lower spine being stretched. STANDING POSES Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). In Triangle "ose, the feet are separated while the torso stretches to the side. %ecause of the scoliosis, your emphasis should be different when you stretch to each side. 9hen stretching toward the side of the concavity, emphasize lengthening the spine to open up the compressed ribs on the underside of the body and decrease the protrusion of the ribs on the opposite side. 9hen stretching to the convex side, emphasize twisting to create more evenness on the sides of the bac. +or example, someone with a right thoracic scoliosis would stretch to the left to create length in the spine. Separate the feet about one leg's length. Turn the left toes out to 45 degrees and the right toes in to 23 degrees, and stretch the torso to the left, bending from the hips and stretching the arms away from each other. "lacing your left hand on the bac of a chair helps to spread out the ribs on the concave side. Arop the right ribs in medially towards the spine so both sides of the body are parallel to the floor. &otice how dropping the right ribs spreads out the compressed left ribs (+igures ,, BincorrectC and ,/!. Dou can also press the right outer heel of the foot into a wall to give stability and strength from which to stretch. If you are practicing in a studio that has wall ropes, a rope attached to the wall and wrapped around the right thigh is an excellent way to create this stability, particularly for someone with a lumbar scoliosis. It is also important to stretch to the opposite side to decrease the bulge in the bac on the convex side of the spine. "lace the left outer heel at the wall or use a rope attached around the left leg. @engthen out from the hip as you did on the left side. "lace the right hand on the leg and bring the left heel of the hand to the sacrum. Inhale and draw the base of the right shoulder blade down from the ears and into the body, opening the chest. <xhale and twist from the navel, drawing the left elbow bac to align the shoulders with each other (+igure ,0!. @et the nec and head follow. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose). This pose strengthens and stretches the legs, psoas, and bac muscles. +or students with scoliosis, this pose is best practiced with the support of a doorjamb or pillar, to eep the torso upright and balanced. %ring the bac groin to the edge of the door jamb with the front heel about two feet ahead and the front leg hugging the side of the wall. "lace the bac toes about two feet behind the left hip. S.uare the two hips so they are parallel to each other and point the tailbone to the floor, lengthening the sacrum. Inhale and bring the arms overhead parallel to the shoulders, palms facing toward each other, and lift from the upper bac, lengthening the ribs and spine out of the pelvis. <xhale and bend the right leg, creating a right angle, with the thigh parallel to the floor and the shinbone perpendicular to the floor (+igure , 2!. The right nee should be directly over the right heel, with the left leg fully extended and the left heel descending to the floor. ;eep lifting the spine and at the same time press into the floor with the bac leg. If you have difficulty bringing the bac heel to the floor, place a sandbag under the heel for balance. "ressing it bac and down to the floor helps to penetrate the deep psoas muscle. +or additional standing poses helpful for scoliosis, consult %.;.S. Iyengar's Light on Yoga (Shocen %oos, ,48,!. Etthita "arsvaonasana (@ateral 1ngle "ose! , 1rdha #handrasana ($alf ?oon "ose!, "arighasana (#ross %eam of a )ate "ose! are three excellent lateral stretches to do for scoliosis that follow the same guidelines as Trionasana. "arivrtta Trionasana (=evolved Triangle "ose! , and "arivrtta "arsvaonasana (=evolved @ateral 1ngle "ose!, two twisting standing poses, are highly recommended for intermediate yoga students. !igure 1= !igure 12 !igure 14 INVERSIONS <ven in a healthy spine, the continual pull of gravity can compress the intervertebral disc and eventually cause nerve damage or disc herniation. In a spine with scoliosis, the problem is even more pronounced. The person will tend to feel the uneven pressure of gravity constantly but have no understanding of how to create alignment to alleviate it. Inversions create a freedom in your body to experience alignment without the usual distortions caused by gravity. 1s a result, it is often easier, particularly if you have a scoliosis, to feel what alignment is upside down than while standing on your feet. The inversions also develop strength in the bac and arms6 increase circulation to the vertebrae, brain, and other organs, and encourage Iymphatic circulation and venous blood return. Ardha Adho Mkha Vrksasana (!al" !andstand). $andstand is generally one of the first inversions students learn. It helps to develop arm and shoulder strength, preparing you for other inversions such as $eadstand. %y learning to lift up in $and stand, you also learn to lengthen the spine against gravitational force, a movement that is particularly important for those with scoliosis. If you are new to $andstand and afraid to try it, 1rdha 1dho ?uha >rsasana ($alf $andstand! is an alternative that can help you build your confidence and strength. To warm up, do 1dho ?uha Svanasana (Aownward*+acing Aog "ose! with the heels at the wall. @ift the right leg and extend through the heel with the ball of the foot pressing against the wall (+igure ,3!. =everse, bringing the right leg down and lifting the left leg. This movement helps build upper body strength, often lacing in practitioners with scoliosis6 it also teaches you to lengthen both sides of the body evenly, despite the distortion in your spine. =est in #hild's "ose. &ow go bac into 1dho ?uha Svanasana and lift both legs onto the wall, hip*width apart and parallel to one another. The feet should be at hip level, no higher, and the arms, shoulders, and torso should be in a straight line (+igure ,F!. "ress actively into the wall with the heels. Spread the shoulder blades away from each other and draw them away from the ears. "ress into the inner hands, draw the elbows in and eep the arms straight. If this is difficult, use belt around the arms, just above the elbows. Sala#ba Sar$angasana (Sholderstand). Shoulderstand releases the chronic tension in the nec and shoulders so common among people with scoliosis. If you are a beginner, you should have as much support as possible to encourage the chest to open and to prevent the weight of the body from descending on the nec and shoulders. %egin by using a chair, a bolster, and the wall. "lace the bac of your chair approximately passive bacbend over the edge of your bed. Salabhasana (Locst Pose). This bacbend is very important for scoliosis, because it strengthens the erector spinae muscles and the hamstring muscles of the legs. This strengthening helps to ensure ade.uate support of the spinal column in all bac bending poses. @ie face down and extend the arms out to the side, in line with the shoulders. -n an exhalation, lift the head and upper chest off the floor, eeping the buttocs firm and pressing the thighs strongly down. @engthen the arms out to the side so the shoulder blades stretch away from the spine, eeping the hands below the level of the shoulder blades. <xhale as you release. =epeat three to five times. &ow stretch the arms overhead and feel the muscles of the bac lengthening from the pelvis. @ift the arms and place the palms on the seat of a chair in front of you. Stretch the arms out once again and move the chair farther away to lengthen the spine. )ently lift the abdomen and floating ribs to support the front of the spine. "ress down strongly with the palms on the chair as you press the thighs downward and lift the spine further (+igure /5! . <xhale as you release. =epeat three to five times. Dou may also do this pose with the legs lifted as well as the arms. 1s you become more advanced, you may wish to attempt more advanced bacbends, such as Ahanurasana (%ow "ose!, Estrasana (#amel "ose!, and Erdhva Ahanurasana (Epward +acing %ow "ose! . TWISTS Twists are very important for scoliosis because they help to derotate the spine. #aution should always be taen to lengthen the spine before twisting. %hair T&ist.Sit on a chair with your right side to the bac of the chair and your hands placed on each side of the bac of the chair. "lace your feet firmly on the floor, nees and anles together. 9ith an inhalation, lengthen the spine6 with the exhalation, gently rotate from the navel, stretching the ribs away form the pelvis (+igure /,!. "ress with the right hand into the bac of the chair to create more twist, and with the left fingers pull on the bac of the chair, drawing the left shoulder blade away from the spine. #ontinue to breathe into the pose and twist further with each exhalation. 9ith an exhalation, slowly release the pose. +or a right thoracic scoliosis, emphasis should be put on twisting in this direction. Twist both ways twice, but stay longer on this side. 1s you progress you will be able to add several other seated twists that are beneficial to scoliosis, including %lharadvajasana, ?aricehyasana, and 1rdha ?atsyendrasana. FORWARD ENDS +orward bends help you release deep tension in the bac and shoulders. The longer you can stay in these poses, the deeper will be the release. 'an Sirsasana (!ead to (nee Pose). Sit at the very edge of a folded blanet with both legs straight, and pull the flesh of the buttocs away from the sitting bones. %end your right nee and bring your right heel into the right groin, letting the nee fall gently to the side. %end forward from the hips over the left leg. In this forward bend, first lift the spine and draw the shoulder blades down and into the bac, opening the chest. This movement counter acts the tendency of people with scoliosis to hunch their bacs and round their shoulders. To achieve this opening of the chest, you may pull gently on a chair, or on a tie wrapped around the ball of the left foot. "lace a sandbag on the protruding (convex! side of the spine. (+igure //!. If you can come farther forward, place a bolster or
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