I've spent a lot of money putting together my scoliosis library - this little book (published this year out of the UK), for under $20, proves to be one of the most valuable - and I think deserves a thread of its own. It is written by Pilaties instructor Annette Wellings who has quite a significant 36 degree right throacic /60 degree left thoracolumbar curvature pattern. Co-written by Alan Herdmann, a master Pilaties teacher who introduced Pilates to the UK back in the 1970's.
It's subtitled: A Practical Guide to Pilates for Scoliosis ... it could just as easily be subtitled: A Practical Guide to Living with Scoliosis (whether or not one has had surgery). The author has not reduced her curvature - but she has vastly improved changes in her posture, alignment, spinal flexibility, rib cage protrusion, muscle tone & strength, while reducing pain and discomfort levels. Good enough for me ;-) Maybe NSF could take a took at this and possibly add it to their bookstore.
The 34 easy to understand exercises cover a broad spectrum and from my experience, I can easily recognize not only the Pilates influence but also the Schroth, Yoga, and Alexander methods. They are designed for anyone including modifications for specific curvature patterns relative to convexity/concavity - along with derotation guidelines. Some of the Schroth exercises in this book are exactly as was taught to me by my brace provider - and the breathing techniques are very easy to understand in the way this author explains them.
This book helps one to understand their individual condition - the information regarding the wide variation of curvature types and corresponding rotation of the spine is written in a clear and easy to understand way ... the best I've ever seen in that regard. There is also an easy to understand page about determining cobb angle - if one reads a little between the lines - it shows why there can be such a difference in readings. Truly not an exact science!
One of the more compelling chapters has to deal with the psychology of the condition and how it may be influenced by stressful social and/or emotional situations. Of great interest to me, was discussion of muscle structure - and how to re-educate what the author terms "bossy" muscle blocks. Information which better helped me understand the straping of my brace which I can now see is designed to tone down the over firing on one side and encourage the muscle firing of the other, which is working - now I know why :-)
Domo Arigato (a thanks unending) to Daily Strength for recommending this book - very informative, easy and quick read.
Anyone else working with this book?
It's subtitled: A Practical Guide to Pilates for Scoliosis ... it could just as easily be subtitled: A Practical Guide to Living with Scoliosis (whether or not one has had surgery). The author has not reduced her curvature - but she has vastly improved changes in her posture, alignment, spinal flexibility, rib cage protrusion, muscle tone & strength, while reducing pain and discomfort levels. Good enough for me ;-) Maybe NSF could take a took at this and possibly add it to their bookstore.
The 34 easy to understand exercises cover a broad spectrum and from my experience, I can easily recognize not only the Pilates influence but also the Schroth, Yoga, and Alexander methods. They are designed for anyone including modifications for specific curvature patterns relative to convexity/concavity - along with derotation guidelines. Some of the Schroth exercises in this book are exactly as was taught to me by my brace provider - and the breathing techniques are very easy to understand in the way this author explains them.
This book helps one to understand their individual condition - the information regarding the wide variation of curvature types and corresponding rotation of the spine is written in a clear and easy to understand way ... the best I've ever seen in that regard. There is also an easy to understand page about determining cobb angle - if one reads a little between the lines - it shows why there can be such a difference in readings. Truly not an exact science!
One of the more compelling chapters has to deal with the psychology of the condition and how it may be influenced by stressful social and/or emotional situations. Of great interest to me, was discussion of muscle structure - and how to re-educate what the author terms "bossy" muscle blocks. Information which better helped me understand the straping of my brace which I can now see is designed to tone down the over firing on one side and encourage the muscle firing of the other, which is working - now I know why :-)
Domo Arigato (a thanks unending) to Daily Strength for recommending this book - very informative, easy and quick read.
Anyone else working with this book?
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