The cunning and slightly mysterious hdugger brought up the issue of strength and flexibility as it relates to PT treatment approaches for scoliosis.
The ever on point Gayle pointed out that the state of ligaments and other connective tissues control flexibility and that too much flexibility is a bad thing for joints and spines.
As regards scoliosis, it seems that you want the spine to be flexible enough to assume a normal configuration to ever hope to correct a curve with muscle. A flexible spine absent muscle to hold it in place is going to curve and possibly curve quickly. I think this is why braces are thought to not be effective in certain connective tissue disorders which are accompanied by low muscle tone. I would guess that the highest rates of curve progression are probably in this group.
On the other hand, a stiff spine presumably will not curve so much under the weight of gravity though if enough curve is present, gravity will still work to increase the curve over time in most (not all) curves. But maybe less muscle would be required to hold a stiff curve against gravity compared to that required to hold a flexible curve. And indeed a fused curve, the epitome of stiffness, needs no muscle to speak of to maintain the straightness.
Some questions include:
1. can spinal flexibility be increased measurably by exercise?
2. is it dangerous to increase spinal flexibility without simultaneously building muscle to hold it?
3. might it be good to have a stiff spine if it slows curve progression?
4. can muscle be used to artificially stiffen a spine to prevent curve progression? (AKA the $64,000 question)
5. what is the most a person should pay for a hard brace? (AKA the $6,000 question)
The ever on point Gayle pointed out that the state of ligaments and other connective tissues control flexibility and that too much flexibility is a bad thing for joints and spines.
As regards scoliosis, it seems that you want the spine to be flexible enough to assume a normal configuration to ever hope to correct a curve with muscle. A flexible spine absent muscle to hold it in place is going to curve and possibly curve quickly. I think this is why braces are thought to not be effective in certain connective tissue disorders which are accompanied by low muscle tone. I would guess that the highest rates of curve progression are probably in this group.
On the other hand, a stiff spine presumably will not curve so much under the weight of gravity though if enough curve is present, gravity will still work to increase the curve over time in most (not all) curves. But maybe less muscle would be required to hold a stiff curve against gravity compared to that required to hold a flexible curve. And indeed a fused curve, the epitome of stiffness, needs no muscle to speak of to maintain the straightness.
Some questions include:
1. can spinal flexibility be increased measurably by exercise?
2. is it dangerous to increase spinal flexibility without simultaneously building muscle to hold it?
3. might it be good to have a stiff spine if it slows curve progression?
4. can muscle be used to artificially stiffen a spine to prevent curve progression? (AKA the $64,000 question)
5. what is the most a person should pay for a hard brace? (AKA the $6,000 question)
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