Scoliosis is a disease of the musculoskeletal system in which the spine bends laterally. Conventional treatments include wearing a corset, exercise therapy, and in some cases surgery. While yoga is not yet a widely used treatment for scoliosis, there are strong indications that it can play a significant role in controlling the condition.
As a rule, scoliosis develops in childhood, but it can also appear in adults. In most cases, the forecasts are quite positive, but certain situations can make a person incapacitated. Men and women are equally prone to scoliosis, but the fair sex is 8 times more likely to develop symptoms that require treatment.
The curvature puts pressure on the spinal cord, causing numbness, pain in the lower extremities, and loss of strength. In more severe cases, the pressure is so strong that it can cause coordination problems and an unnatural gait. Yoga classes help strengthen the muscles of the legs, thereby relieving significant stress from the spine. Yoga is a combination of breathing techniques and various asanas, specifically aimed at correcting the shape of the spine. At first, it can be a little painful, because for the body these postures are not physiological, but over time the body will get used to it. Consider simple and effective yoga asanas for scoliosis.
As is clear from the name of the asana, it fills the body of the one who performs it with courage, nobility and calmness. Virabhadrasana strengthens the lower back, improves balance in the body and increases stamina. Strengthened back and will together will provide significant assistance in the fight against scoliosis.
A standing asana that stretches the spine and promotes mental and physical balance. It also releases back pain, and reduces the effects of stress.
Increases the flexibility of the spine, stimulates blood circulation, relaxes the mind. Asana recommended for scoliosis.
It is not difficult to guess that the child’s pose calms the nervous system, and also relaxes the back. This asana is ideal for people whose scoliosis is the result of a neuromuscular disorder.
Asana brings strength to the whole body (especially arms, shoulders, legs and feet), stretches the spine. Thanks to this posture, you can better distribute the weight of the body, in particular on the legs, unloading the back. It is important to remember that the practice should end with Shavasana (corpse pose) for a few minutes in complete relaxation. It introduces the body into a state of meditation, in which our protective functions trigger self-healing.
Patience is everything
As with any other practice, the results of yoga come with time. Regularity of classes and patience are essential attributes of the process. It is worth taking the time to practice Pranayama breathing exercises, which can be a powerful practice for opening the lungs. This is important because the intercostal muscles contracted under the influence of scoliosis restrict breathing.
shares his story with us:
“When I was 15, our family doctor told me that I had severe structural thoracic scoliosis. He recommended wearing a corset and “threatened” with an operation in which metal rods are inserted into the back. Horrified by such news, I turned to a highly qualified surgeon who offered me a set of stretches and exercises.
I studied regularly at school and college, but I noticed only a deterioration in the condition. When I put on my bathing suit, I noticed how the right side of my back protruded relative to the left. After leaving to work in Brazil after graduation, I began to feel cramps and sharp pain in my back. Luckily, a volunteer from work offered to try hatha yoga classes. When I stretched in the asanas, the numbness in the right side of my back disappeared and the pain went away. In order to continue this path, I returned to the USA, where I studied at the Institute of Integral Yoga with Swami Satchidananda. At the Institute, I learned the importance of love, service and balance in life, and also mastered yoga. Later, I turned to the Iyengar system to study in depth its therapeutic use in scoliosis. Since then, I have been studying and healing my body through practice. In teaching students with scoliosis, I have found that philosophical principles and specific asanas can help to some extent.
The decision to do yoga to correct scoliosis involves a lifelong work on yourself, self-knowledge and your growth. For many of us, such a “commitment” to ourselves seems intimidating. Either way, the goal of yoga practice should not be just to straighten the back. We must learn to accept ourselves as we are, not to deny ourselves and not to condemn. At the same time, work on your back, treat it with a sense of understanding. “.