Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Martha Hawes improves her scoliosis w exercise

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Scott,
    Are you able to PM me your presentation? As of yet, I don't have powerpoint on my laptop. I suppose I could put the older XP version on and see if it works. If you can't PM me, then I'll PM you my e-mail address, as I'm interested in seeing your presentation. Truly an X-box addiction can't be good for your back unless you have kinect (not sure how you spell the game version, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about). I'm a Nintendo person myself. I've got the Wii Fit Plus. I used it a lot at first, but haven't as of late since I have a three year old grandson to take care of. I get my exercise chasing him!

    I feel as though you have almost given up. I realize that your ideas were fresh years ago, but didn't you take notes? Yes, we forget over time. That is one reason that I have kept all of my old college notebooks and have many books on various topics from Anatomy & Physiology to Calculus, Organic Chemistry to the Arts and many others. Plus the internet is a great research tool IF used properly. I'd say, if you are passionate about being on to something, don't give up to the X-box. You own so many scoliosis websites. Perhaps you can have a friend help you or figure out how to construct 3-D presentations and link your idea to the websites. Many doctors may actually read it and go somewhere with it. I know you don't want others to get rich off of your ideas, but helping people is way more important than money. Just a thought.
    Be happy!
    We don't know what tomorrow brings,
    but we are alive today!

    Comment


    • Hi Rohrer,
      Thanks for your reply.
      I played around a bit tonight, and was able to save as .pdf just fine.
      So I can send it to you whenever you want.
      I wasn't doing it right the first time... typical lol.
      My addiction to the xbox is exactly because I can do it all without moving any parts of my body, well except my fingers and face muscles anyhow.
      I never owned a wii or tried it, but my friend had the wii fit with the little step thingy.
      Yes the little ones will keep you fit!

      Yeah I pretty much have given up with it, unless I could ever get someone else to finish what I started the way it needs to be done.
      The problem is my ability to learn and comprehend this stuff was completely associated with my ability to make sense of what was going on at a given time.
      Without that, I don't feel like I have any skills any more than anyone else to figure this out anymore.
      My plan to succeed was linked to that ability.
      Whats worse I feel like I cant even talk about it like it even happened because I know everyone demands proof, and without being able to finish what I started, ultimately its a non-event and I feel like I cant win, only make a fool of myself.
      Even now I feel like I'm just waiting for everyone to pounce on me and say that 'an injury to cause scoliosis in not possible blah blah blah, you need mental help.'
      I know I shouldn't feel paranoid but I know my story is different to others and I also know that Pooka and others want to keep crap off the forum, and it's just the way I am.
      I was never like this so much originally but trying so hard and not really achieving what I wanted made me resent trying and I put all this stuff to the side, accepted it and went on and lived my life.
      This was always there though.

      Yes I did take notes - heaps of stuff I've got a whole plastic box full of stuff.
      It's mostly all just lines and curves and weird stuff that I'm scared I wont even understand so I just leave the lid on for now, but keep it all there in case I even really need to look back over it.
      I'm sure theres some good stuff in there that will help me to remember things.

      Part of the reason I never focussed so much of my efforts on learning more technical knowledge than I had to was because I was focussing so much on watching the loading each day.
      It was truly madness the level I went with it. I had to know everything and keep track of it. I used to test myself I'd wake up and immediately try and make sense of it in my head and then test to see if I was right. A lot of the time I did.
      I have thousands of photos, but I'm not sure they really have much value.

      If I say I don't wan't anyone to get rich off my ideas, then I'm just being stubborn and single-minded.
      I know inside myself that someone has to make money off it somewhere otherwise nobody would be interested in doing it.
      That's just how these things work.
      You asked the other day what happens hypothetically if I'm right and the biomechanics of scoliosis is known - how does that help patients.
      Well really all I see is bracing that is more effective, maybe some changes to the way they do surgery, I shouldn't really speculate - see when we get there, and maybe all the non-surgical people might actually be able to come up with some much more effective ideas. Maybe the surgeons and non-surgical people might start working together. As for reversing the vicious cycle of loading back to the original structural misalignment and realigning it,(which is where this idea goes for me) well it wasn't necessarily a bad concept or idea for me, within a short time from the injury at skeletal maturity,(if it were possible) but to transfer that same idea over to the mainstream scoliosis with kids and adolescents and factors relating to growth, its a different concept altogether.
      Ultimately I came to the conclusion that even if it were to be proven to be possible, it would most likely not be cost effective to do so, and I know that sounds dumb, but I just cant see it.
      All this stuff, - In truth I just wanted to investigate the idea and then let the research speak for itself.

      I was just going to say I won't give up to the xbox, but maybe thats just what happened so many years ago. When I got my xbox. I already did.
      I've killed about 4 or 5 of them now.

      I do have a 3d modeller that will be creating some scoliosis images for me, and he can do some really amazing stuff.
      I've been trying to contact him for some images to improve this presentation but I havent heard from him, maybe he's busy, or away.
      The problem is his time doesn't come cheap, and he's in Germany, I'll see what happens in time.
      He's got plenty of spine models, but creating what I wan't might be out of his league, not saying he's not good enough, but elastic and fluid elements and normal spinal biomechanics with hundreds of degrees of freedon all these things done accurately so that I can break it with my own rules is something else. And nobody really appreciates just how complex this model will have to be. Im assuming probably hundreds of thousands of individual translations (changes), with every single translation the load right across the spine changes, so there is literally millions of calculations, I'm guessing, if you include the daily postural effects on loading.

      My websites - that idea never had anything to do with my research.
      I just started doing web design, looked up scoliosis sites (as I did start building one a long time ago) saw that not much had changed, and thought there was a need to do better.
      I still believe this. I believe that people with scoliosis are still in a position where we are at risk of being taken advantage of by people who are only really interested in money when they are most vulnerable, and I believe the reason for that is that they are uninformed and ending up at the wrong websites and reading the wrong things.
      I do believe that we need to set better standards on the net, otherwise this trend will continue.
      I also believe that information should be free, however I also understand that and not for profit type of organisation without money, is powerless to really achieve anything.
      I notice that a lot of big name newspapers are starting to charge subscription for the online news.
      They know they are not selling papers like they used to and that there is a trend towards the internet and that they need to monetise this in order to stay viable.
      I think the same way for scoliosis sites. I see a scope to do so much better. but who will pay for this and maintain it.
      I look at what we have across the internet and I think we'll really what do we expect for nothing?
      The only clear path to the future, I believe is one where there is a heap of free scoliosis sites with advertising and a $10year subscription based site with everything the free sites have but no advertising.
      I think if my kid was diagnosed with scolisois yesterday I'd happily pay $10 to get all the best info videos etc right in one place without sifting the net for it.
      Now if you accept that theres 2 billion internet users right now, and earths population is expexted to be 7billion by 2050, and probably every living soul will have a computer by then;
      Then even now, at 1 in a thousand needing surgery - thats still potentially 2million people globally if you install language packs.
      Thats a lot of money for scoliosis, add advertising revenue from the free sites, then use the money to create some really good money making charitible ideas, because for 1 we've just improved the face of scoliosis on the net which means we now have more opportunities open to us.
      I'm not necessarily saying I'm the right person to doing this, I just believe it should be done, so I will just plod along and see how I go.
      I have so much to do there, I just bought scoliosisdirectory last week.

      My research site in not officially part of my scoliosis network. I don't wan't anyone to think my sites are biased in any way or that I am pushing any ulterior motive, because I'm not.

      Sorry I didn't acknowledge your comment about hamstings TAMZTOM, I just didn't have anything intelligent to add.

      I hope I didn't offend Dr McIntyre too much. I feel bad.

      Now that I have in pdf format, I might see if I can add it to my website with a link to it.
      I might even rebuild that entire site quickly tomorrow. Theres not much to do to build/install a small site.
      The document itself still needs a handful of small changes so it reads better and the images are more descriptive, but its pretty much all there now.

      - Scott
      Last edited by sjmcphee; 01-15-2012, 12:05 PM.

      Comment


      • Scott,

        Not moving anything except your fingers and your face is a BAD thing, especially if you have scoliosis! Video games are addicting and BAD for you! They can cause migraines, seizures, promote sedentary lifestyles which lead to all sorts of diseases like heart disease, diabetes, vascular disease, blood clots, stroke... you get my point.

        Now that the lecture is over, I think that you could potentially put your stuff on a site and make it non-biased if you state its purpose. Obviously not every scoliosis is caused by an injury, so you don't want to lead the general populace in that direction, so you'll need to make a disclaimer so you don't get into trouble. But if your stuff makes sense, then what is it going to hurt? You might set up a research "challenge" asking someone to prove or disprove this hypothesis.

        Keeping stuff free on the net is important as many people don't have credit cards or won't use them or any account over the www. Unfortunately, this means advertisements. Radio stations, television station, newspapers, etc. have been doing this forever. Just make sure that the companies that are advertising are legitimate and not going to infect the user's computers with horrible things.

        A word of caution for you. If you are going to get serious about this, and it seems it is still bugging you after all these years, you need to open that box of yours! You've got to gather ALL of your evidence before you can present a case. Can you imagine a lawyer having a huge file on a client, that is chock full of evidence that could clear him of all charges, refusing to open the file and depending on his memory in court? Would you want such a lawyer defending you? Of course not! It's the same way here. If you want any researchers to take you seriously (or a jury), then you need ALL of your evidence. You need to take the time to rattle that brain back into non-combat (X-box jargon) activity and present your data. If you've seriously given up, then what's the point of sharing what you have now? So the NSF rattled you. They aren't the only organization out there looking into this stuff. I think you feel like I feel when I read my final calculus IV paper. I'm going, what the heck? I don't even know what this stuff means anymore. Well, if that is the case, you need to go back to the beginning and rebuild your knowledge base. You are either lacking the self-confidence to do this or it is just plain laziness. I hope it's the former and not the latter, as you don't strike me as being lazy if you're willing to get proactive and reopen this chain of thoughts that has been bugging you for all these years.

        Yes, I'm being a little hard on you. I'm doing it on purpose because you seem to have potential. That's a compliment. Take care, and think about what I said.
        Be happy!
        We don't know what tomorrow brings,
        but we are alive today!

        Comment


        • Originally posted by rohrer01 View Post
          Tom,
          If you can find a way to effectively stretch the hamstrings, let me know! I know all of the usual stretches, but they don't seem to work for me no matter how consistent I am with doing them. It just never gets better. I used to teach aerobics, so was very in shape at that time. The hamstring issue was just as bad back then. I did a lot of weight training and stretches. The thing that I found to help with the pain of my scoliosis was, believe it or not, the Roman chair. I think that's what it's called. It's where you lift your torso while your hips and ankles are locked in place by bars. I've heard that this is very bad for hypokyphosis, which I have very badly (only 6* curve where there should be over 20*). I didn't know anything about hypokyphosis at the time. I just know that this exercise relieved pain over a period of time as my muscles were strengthened. I don't know if the hamstring issue is part of the overall problem, but it seems to be related somehow. One thing I never have tried (this just popped into my head), is applying heat to the backs of my legs while stretching. Maybe I'll try that for a couple of months and see if any progress is made. I'll let you know. But, like Tamzin, I can barely touch my toes. I CAN touch them, but it is painful to do so and always has been. Let me know of anything that works with her. But remember, I'm 43 and she's, what, 11 years old? There's a huge difference in how the body responds between kids and middle-aged adults.
          Rohrer, if you don't mind me joining in the hamstring discussion. I am 38 years old, so closer to you in age than Tamzin, and I've also had difficulty in stretching my hamstrings. I'm now able to sit on the floor with my legs straight in front of me, but it took me a long time to get there. I'm wondering: The Roman Chair is usually used for spine extension, but it can also be used for spine flexion. When you say that you had your hips and ankles locked in place by bars for the exercise, I'm guessing that you were mostly front side down and extending. Is that right?

          I used heat for a while as part of my stretching routine, because stretching was painful. I used to apply heat first and then stretch, as opposed to have the heating pad on me while stretching - it was distracting to have to adjust it as I moved between stretches.
          Joshua
          Diagnosed with 42 degree thoracolumbar scoliosis in 1996
          1997 - 45 degrees
          2003 - 29 degrees
          2011 - 27 degrees
          http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...osis/front.jpg
          http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...sis/Lumbar.jpg
          http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Thoracic.jpg

          Comment


          • TOscoliosis,
            Yes, I was front side down. But now that I've heard that it could be bad for hypokyphosis, I'm afraid to try it again. I was going to see if the hospital gymn had one.

            I don't mind you jumping into the conversation at all. I do it to people all of the time. That's why we are a public forum.

            If I may ask about your sitting position, is your pelvis straight? I can sit with my legs in front of me, but my pelvis tilts back, so the compensation for the short hamstrings gets transferred to my lower spine. I would like to be able to sit with a straight pelvis and work on leaning forward without rounding my back. I also have to round my back for the legs apart stretches. The only one I can do with a straight pelvis is if I bend one leg in, with legs apart, and one leg straight, then stretch the straight leg. I'm thinking that's where I'll have to start, one leg at a time.
            Be happy!
            We don't know what tomorrow brings,
            but we are alive today!

            Comment


            • Originally posted by rohrer01 View Post
              TOscoliosis,
              Yes, I was front side down. But now that I've heard that it could be bad for hypokyphosis, I'm afraid to try it again. I was going to see if the hospital gymn had one.

              I don't mind you jumping into the conversation at all. I do it to people all of the time. That's why we are a public forum.

              If I may ask about your sitting position, is your pelvis straight?
              Yes, I am able to sit with my pelvis straight, legs in front and flat on the ground, back completely upright. I think it's a good idea to do this with legs together at first. One way to think of scoliosis is as a condition that distorts our mid-line. I use working on sagittal positions and movements as a way to balance my left and right sides.

              Some thoughts about your hamstrings and hamstring stretching in general. The hamstrings have two main actions: flexing the lower leg at the knee and extending the thigh at the hip. The exercise you mention on a Roman Chair is an extension exercise. It is intended to strengthen the lower back, and secondarily it works the gluteal muscles and the hamstrings. If your goal is to stretch your hamstrings, then you want to avoid tightening your hamstrings with exercises like this. So one reason why you may be struggling with hamstring stretches is that, for some period of time, you have been inadvertently tightening them.

              We can think of hamstrings as individual muscles, and also think of them as part of the longer track of muscles of the back of the body. If we start at the bottom (not naming every muscle) we could see them as part of this chain: Plantar fascia of the foot, gastrocnemius, hamstrings (semimembranosus et. al.), erector spinae (long back muscles) etc. I found my hamstring stretching much more effective when I included stretching muscles above and below them on this chain. As you find that your back is fairly flexible, you may want to pay more attention to stretching your calves and the soles of your foot. Otherwise, it may be that your hamstring progress is held back by continually tight calves and feet. The Downward Facing Dog stretch in yoga is an interesting pose, because it simultaneously stretches the entire back line of the body, from the bottom of the foot to the top of the head. I can suggest other stretches too if you'd like.

              Hope this helps!
              Joshua
              Diagnosed with 42 degree thoracolumbar scoliosis in 1996
              1997 - 45 degrees
              2003 - 29 degrees
              2011 - 27 degrees
              http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...osis/front.jpg
              http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...sis/Lumbar.jpg
              http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Thoracic.jpg

              Comment


              • Yes, it does help. It makes sense to stretch the muscles along the whole chain rather than just one link. My use of the Roman Chair was almost 25 years ago, so I'm doubting that is my problem now. But I would still keep my tight hamstrings if I could eliminate my back pain. My calf muscles aren't tight. I don't know about the back muscles as of this moment because I'm having a flare-up of muscle spasms and my lumbar epidural is wearing off. So I'm having some lower back pain that turns into sciatica if I move wrong or sleep wrong. I have been stretching my legs, though, as I've been walking on a treadmill as often as my schedule allows. I still think that stretching one leg at a time (because I can do it) as long as I'm doing both the same and following up with legs together would accomplish more. I think if I just try bending forward to touch my toes, I'll just aggrivate the already inflamed lumbar, which would be self-defeating. Heat beforehand is definitely a great idea. I can't visualize the yoga stretch, but I can look it up. Thanks a lot!
                Be happy!
                We don't know what tomorrow brings,
                but we are alive today!

                Comment


                • Originally posted by rohrer01 View Post
                  Yes, it does help. It makes sense to stretch the muscles along the whole chain rather than just one link. My use of the Roman Chair was almost 25 years ago, so I'm doubting that is my problem now. But I would still keep my tight hamstrings if I could eliminate my back pain. My calf muscles aren't tight. I don't know about the back muscles as of this moment because I'm having a flare-up of muscle spasms and my lumbar epidural is wearing off. So I'm having some lower back pain that turns into sciatica if I move wrong or sleep wrong. I have been stretching my legs, though, as I've been walking on a treadmill as often as my schedule allows. I still think that stretching one leg at a time (because I can do it) as long as I'm doing both the same and following up with legs together would accomplish more. I think if I just try bending forward to touch my toes, I'll just aggrivate the already inflamed lumbar, which would be self-defeating. Heat beforehand is definitely a great idea. I can't visualize the yoga stretch, but I can look it up. Thanks a lot!
                  I'm sorry that you're having pain troubles Rohrer! Sciatica can be very painful indeed. That's lousy that it got so bad that you needed a lumbar epidural steroid injection. Not something you'd undertake lightly. Are the muscle spasms you're having going on only in your back or elsewhere as well? I remember how, when I was first diagnosed with scoliosis, sneezing or coughing used to cause me horrible stabbing pain in my mid-back. Very unpleasant.

                  Yes, I like your idea of stretching one leg first, then the other, to get them warmed up, and then both together. That's the progression in the yoga class I used to go to for the sitting postures. I remember asking a senior yoga teacher one time what she recommended for tight hamstrings. She said: "There's no special formula except working on it EVERY day for a LONG time." Disappointing, but realistic advice perhaps. I have many friends who do yoga who tell me that, when they first started taking classes, they couldn't touch their toes, and now (after several years) they have become very flexible. I've been doing my own yoga routine at home and improvement is slow but steady.

                  You mention in your message that you stretch your legs, as you've been walking on a treadmill. Do you mean that you include a stretching routine before or after you use the treadmill? Walking on a treadmill will not stretch your hamstrings unless you swing those legs WAAAAY ahead of you when you're stepping forward, and it won't stretch your quadriceps unless you swing those legs WAAAY behind you when you're stepping backward! Not the best or safest way to stretch your legs

                  Or did you mean "stretch your legs" like in that British expression of getting your legs moving? I realize that I don't know where you're from, so I may have misunderstood you!

                  This whole discussion brings up a point about what I call Scoliosis Self-Care. Along with whatever scoliosis-specific treatment we receive or regimen we have, it's also important to be working on ourselves. Whether your hamstrings are involved in your scoliosis or not (I think they are to some degree - you're one whole person), the healthier your whole body is, the better chance you'll have of being successful with your scoliosis care. Good luck unwinding those hams!
                  Joshua
                  Diagnosed with 42 degree thoracolumbar scoliosis in 1996
                  1997 - 45 degrees
                  2003 - 29 degrees
                  2011 - 27 degrees
                  http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...osis/front.jpg
                  http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...sis/Lumbar.jpg
                  http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Thoracic.jpg

                  Comment


                  • Hi everyone,
                    Well, I put the initial document together and although it’s not totally finished I’ve had the time to think about it realistically.
                    I’ve let Rohrer have a look, she’s given me a little bit of feedback - I’ve not yet asked her general opinion, but I don’t think I need to.
                    You all know I can cut to the point – and I have to be real honest and say that you just can’t tell whether or not what I’ve written is method or madness. You just can’t.
                    Rohrer would you agree?
                    In my own defence, this has always been a failure, the minute I tried to explain something to others in 2 dimensions, when I actually learned it in 3.
                    The problem is, right now, I would add 20 pages to the document if I thought I could define it better; but with the exception of a few small issues I know I can explain better, I think it would only make things worse, and more confusing; the reader would end up more lost.
                    So, it was good to test myself to see how much I could remember, but I truly don’t think I can produce a document that will make much sense.
                    This isn’t necessarily a failure, in fact it proves all the things I’ve been saying for weeks.
                    There’s a reason why I turned my back on this stuff.
                    It’s just too complicated for someone like me to tackle on their own.
                    No matter how well I do or don’t understand it or can explain it, I need a 3d model, just to show you the very first few principles, let alone all the things that lie beneath this.
                    I have 2 thoughts, and that is I wonder whether the right thing is to do to have this document accessible or not.
                    Should I hide it in shame, or leave it out there on the web in the hope that someone else picks up on what I did.
                    And can the work injury that I’m saying started a vicious cycle of loading be simulated to find out whether or not there’s something in what I’m trying to say.
                    For now, a shortened version of the document that just describes the injury itself can be found online, and I can PM the link to whoever wants it.
                    If anyone wants the full shameful version that is still unfinished that does not really make any sense, your welcome to look at it but I will have to email it to you, because I don’t want really it out there.
                    I may not even leave the link to this smaller version up for long.
                    -Scott

                    Comment


                    • Scott,
                      I feel honored that I was the first one to see your document. I really mean that. I'll be honest and say it needs some work, as you know already. Ethically, there is just no way to prove your theory, as no one in their right mind is going to want to risk getting scoliosis to prove it's right. I'd probably take some hits from some people (privately) that know more than I do before I removed it. But honestly, you need to remove ALL of the satements that say, "this is hard to explain", and correct your terminology as we discussed. I'd like to see you get all of your stuff together, in proper format, with the explanations that are hard to explain and your figures properly labeled. If you have any science geek friends out there, they should be able to help you with that. IF you aren't willing to do that, then I would, with all kindness intended, remove it, at least until you are willing to make the changes.

                      But, hey, on a positive note: Look at all that you CAN do to help people with scoliosis just by your websites! That's an incredibly kind thing to do, even if you charge $10/yr for the no ads version.

                      In response to the method or madness question. I'd say a little of both.
                      Now read your post that you just wrote. It's full of negativity and insecurity. A confident person can sell a glass of the world's safest, most effective cleanser, hydrogen oxide, for an outrageous price under the true, but little know fact to most people, that it is the world's best solvent! For those that don't know, I'm talking about water.
                      Last edited by rohrer01; 01-18-2012, 12:23 AM.
                      Be happy!
                      We don't know what tomorrow brings,
                      but we are alive today!

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by TOscoliosis View Post
                        I found my hamstring stretching much more effective when I included stretching muscles above and below them on this chain. ... The Downward Facing Dog stretch in yoga is an interesting pose, because it simultaneously stretches the entire back line of the body, from the bottom of the foot to the top of the head.

                        I can suggest other stretches too if you'd like.
                        Excellent post. My other daughter does the DFD, my mind so cluttered that I forgot how useful it can be for Tamzin too. Will be added to her routine.

                        Any suggestions for other stretches much appreciated.
                        07/11: (10yrs) T40, L39, pelvic tilt, rotation T15 & L11
                        11/11: Chiari 1 & syrinx, T35, L27, pelvis 0
                        05/12: (11yrs) stopped brace, assessed T&L 25 - 30...>14lbs , >8 cm
                        12/12: < 25 LC & TC, >14 cms, >20 lbs, neuro symptoms abated, but are there
                        05/13: (12yrs) <25, >22cms height, puberty a year ago

                        Avoid 'faith' in 'experts'. “In consequence of this error many persons pass for normal, and indeed for highly valuable members of society, who are incurably mad...”

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by TAMZTOM View Post
                          Excellent post. My other daughter does the DFD, my mind so cluttered that I forgot how useful it can be for Tamzin too. Will be added to her routine.

                          Any suggestions for other stretches much appreciated.

                          More suggestions for stretches:
                          When I first started stretching my hamstrings and was very very very tight (now I'm only very very tight) I did something I called my "stair routine". There are three parts to it. Step one: Target the calf. Stand on a step with one foot placed in the middle of the step and the other foot placed so that only the ball of the foot is on the edge. Use the bannister and the wall next to you to balance yourself as you lower your weight and let the stretching foot dorsiflex at the ankle.
                          Start position:Calf set up.jpg
                          Stretch position:Calf stretch.jpg


                          Step two: Calf and hamstring combined. Stand at the bottom of the stairs and bring one leg up so that you can place your heel on a step, about three steps up. Place as much of your foot on the vertical part of the step as possible. Gently lean your torso forward.
                          Start position:ham set up.jpg
                          Stretch position:ham stretch.jpg
                          As I mentioned in a previous post, you'll notice that, by tilting forward, I'm also involving the back in the stretch: including muscles along the chain.

                          Step three: Mostly hamstring. Stand at the bottom of the stairs and bring one leg up so that you can rest your heel on a step quite far up the staircase. Gently lean your torso forward.
                          Start position:Ham set up.jpg
                          Stretch position: This file won't upload, but you can guess how it looks. Same as above but with me tilting my torso forward.

                          As far as downward facing dog goes I never do it on its own, although I don't think it's a mistake to do so. I prefer to do DFD as part of full sun salutations. I do step-backs, rather than the jump-backs that are part of ashtanga yoga. I find that the sun salutation is an excellent sequence of sagittal movements, which bring out all of the asymmetries that are present in my scoliosis. The most interesting moment for me right now is the transition from upward facing dog to DFD. It is exceptionally challenging for me to make that transition without obvious asymmetries appearing in my torso. By exceptionally challenging I mean impossible But I'm working on it …
                          Joshua
                          Diagnosed with 42 degree thoracolumbar scoliosis in 1996
                          1997 - 45 degrees
                          2003 - 29 degrees
                          2011 - 27 degrees
                          http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...osis/front.jpg
                          http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...sis/Lumbar.jpg
                          http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Thoracic.jpg

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by TOscoliosis View Post
                            I'm sorry that you're having pain troubles Rohrer! Sciatica can be very painful indeed. That's lousy that it got so bad that you needed a lumbar epidural steroid injection. Not something you'd undertake lightly. Are the muscle spasms you're having going on only in your back or elsewhere as well? I remember how, when I was first diagnosed with scoliosis, sneezing or coughing used to cause me horrible stabbing pain in my mid-back. Very unpleasant.

                            Yes, I like your idea of stretching one leg first, then the other, to get them warmed up, and then both together. That's the progression in the yoga class I used to go to for the sitting postures. I remember asking a senior yoga teacher one time what she recommended for tight hamstrings. She said: "There's no special formula except working on it EVERY day for a LONG time." Disappointing, but realistic advice perhaps. I have many friends who do yoga who tell me that, when they first started taking classes, they couldn't touch their toes, and now (after several years) they have become very flexible. I've been doing my own yoga routine at home and improvement is slow but steady.

                            You mention in your message that you stretch your legs, as you've been walking on a treadmill. Do you mean that you include a stretching routine before or after you use the treadmill? Walking on a treadmill will not stretch your hamstrings unless you swing those legs WAAAAY ahead of you when you're stepping forward, and it won't stretch your quadriceps unless you swing those legs WAAAY behind you when you're stepping backward! Not the best or safest way to stretch your legs

                            Or did you mean "stretch your legs" like in that British expression of getting your legs moving? I realize that I don't know where you're from, so I may have misunderstood you!

                            This whole discussion brings up a point about what I call Scoliosis Self-Care. Along with whatever scoliosis-specific treatment we receive or regimen we have, it's also important to be working on ourselves. Whether your hamstrings are involved in your scoliosis or not (I think they are to some degree - you're one whole person), the healthier your whole body is, the better chance you'll have of being successful with your scoliosis care. Good luck unwinding those hams!
                            I do stretches BEFORE I walk on the treadmill. I stupidly started walking without first properly stretching and when I upped the speed a bit, I could feel it in my shins. I don't want to get shin splints! Anyhow, I know better than to exercise without properly stretching as I used to teach an exercise class (for a very short time) but did my own routine at the gymn when I was younger. So I do know about it. I just got lazy and thought I would try skipping that step to save time.

                            Yes, I believe that the whole body is connected. I have had some weird symptoms pop up at times in strange places like my toes, for instance. I REALLY like your stair exercises. It looks much easier than the floor exercises and lunges. I will try those. The thing I hate about short hamstrings is that it takes SO long to stretch them out. I have had them stretched to the point where I could grab the bottoms of my feet at one point. But I was still rounding my back and I know my pelvis wasn't as straight as I would have liked it to be. So I've never been stretched out like I should be. I think that it is an inherited trait, also. My dad's were so bad that he had to bend his legs to touch his knees! So at least I'm not that bad, but I don't want to get that bad, either.

                            Thank you again for posting pictures of those stretches!
                            Be happy!
                            We don't know what tomorrow brings,
                            but we are alive today!

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by TOscoliosis View Post
                              More suggestions for stretches:
                              Thanks a lot for those, TOs, will give them all a go.
                              Cheers
                              Tom
                              07/11: (10yrs) T40, L39, pelvic tilt, rotation T15 & L11
                              11/11: Chiari 1 & syrinx, T35, L27, pelvis 0
                              05/12: (11yrs) stopped brace, assessed T&L 25 - 30...>14lbs , >8 cm
                              12/12: < 25 LC & TC, >14 cms, >20 lbs, neuro symptoms abated, but are there
                              05/13: (12yrs) <25, >22cms height, puberty a year ago

                              Avoid 'faith' in 'experts'. “In consequence of this error many persons pass for normal, and indeed for highly valuable members of society, who are incurably mad...”

                              Comment


                              • TOscoliosis

                                Thanks for sharing all those stretches.
                                My daughter has scoliosis, and was doing 1/2 hour of schroth therapy a day, since bracing ended she has declined in her PT. Her curve is S shaped but on closer look at her radiographs you can see it is a 4 curves instead of two. The smallest starts with the pelvic, and quite often I can see her hip is forward the SI joint is out of position. Tight Hamstring and calves, the long day of sitting exasperates the tightness. Carrying a heavy book bag adds additional stress.

                                We stepped up on exercising, and motivating a 16 year old is challenging. I find that when the exercises are done, and done correctly, we see improvement. The start of it is at the base of the spine when that is aligned and balanced the rest of her back improves. Strength training and propioception exercises help with posture.

                                Your pictures remind me of my daughter, we could see improvement. She stood taller and looked stronger.

                                I am not familiar with Alexander technique, but it sounds similiar to Schroth therapy.
                                age 15
                                Daughter diagnosed at age 13
                                T20 l23 10-09
                                T27 L27 1/2010

                                T10 L 20 in brace 4/2010
                                T22 L25 12/2010 out of brace
                                T24 L25 7/2011 out of brace

                                Type 1 diabetes- pumping
                                Wearing a Boston brace and Schroth therapy
                                Faith, Hope, and Love- the greatest of these is Love

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X