What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis (Greek for ‘crooked’) is a medical condition in which a person's spine is excessively curved. There are natural curves to the spine in the front-to-back plane but these get over-pronounced in the case of scoliosis, and more so, curvature in the side–to-side plane develops too. Scoliosis is a complex three-dimensional deformity of the spine that takes shape as a twisted spiral or corkscrew. When viewed from behind, a person with scoliosis may have a spine that appears more like an ‘S’ or ‘C’, rather than a straight line.
Nearly everybody has scoliosis
Nearly everybody has some degree of scoliosis simply by having a “dominant side”, such as being right-handed/footed, which will give you an asymmetrical appearance. Typically this means your shoulders and/or pelvis isn’t level, one leg is slightly longer than the other and you have more muscle development on one side of the body. Many people carry shoulder bags, and develop a habituated compensation for the added weight, and it is no surprise that the majority of sufferers of this type of scoliosis (idiopathic scoliosis) are female.
A hidden factor in most cases of scoliosis – habitually over-tensing your muscles
Significantly, most scoliosis sufferers by habit produce and hold exaggerated tensions in their bodies during day-to-day activities, which put too much pressure on the spine’s natural length and shape. This self-infliction factor (largely unconscious) is a hidden factor in scoliosis, and seems to be at the heart of the most common type of scoliosis - idiopathic scoliosis. This type of scoliosis is not caused by genetic/congenital or pathological factors and therefore medical science/doctors struggle to offer any constructive solution or cure, other than surgery or braces, etc.
The most common symptoms of scoliosis
Scoliosis can range in severity. It can be very painful for some sufferers and restrict physical activity, typically putting extra pressure on the heart, lungs, digestion and the spinal cord. The most common symptoms of scoliosis are:
- Strain and arthritis on the joints.
- joint stiffness and reduced joint mobility.
- Breathing difficulty - asthma and shortness of breath.
- Compression circulatory system - hypertension or high blood pressure.
- Tilted pelvis and shoulders. Difference in leg lengths.
- Back pain and backache - lower back pain, upper back pain, shoulder pain and neck pain.
- Slow nerve action
Three medical types of scoliosis
Different forms of scoliosis can have different causes. Medical science has outlined three general forms of scoliosis being:
- Congenital scoliosis
- Neuro-muscular scoliosis
- Idiopathic scoliosis
Congenital scoliosis
(meaning: present at birth) is due to developmental anomalies in the womb or in early life. Neuro-muscular scoliosis appears as a side-effect of other major physical conditions, such as: cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or spinal bifida. Most often the cause of scoliosis is classed as “idiopathic”, meaning the cause is unknown to medical scientists and doctors.
Idiopathic scoliosis – the most common type of scoliosis
Idiopathic scoliosis has the following four subcategories, relating to when the condition was first diagnosed:
- Infantile scoliosis
- Juvenile scoliosis
- Adolescent scoliosis
- Adult scoliosis
Idiopathic scoliosis in adolescence is currently the most common type of scoliosis.
How we can help scoliosis sufferers
A course of Alexander Technique sessions will have a positive effect for most scoliosis sufferers, including those who are born with the condition. The Alexander Technique is a proven method to unlearn/prevent the habit of using too much tension in day-to-day activities. This habit is otherwise hardwired into the nervous system, causing excessive muscular pressure and distortions on the spine - typical for scoliosis sufferers.
Due to the subconscious nature of habits, it takes both verbal and hands-on guidance from a trained Alexander Technique teacher to help a scoliosis sufferer become aware of this excessive tension in order to reduce it. With a course of Alexander Technique sessions, you learn to reduce the level of self-inflicted muscular tension, which relieve the spine of the excess pressure. This can reduce the “corkscrew” distortion of scoliosis. Once the spine returns to its natural shape and length, a major stress element on the breathing mechanism, circulation, digestion and organ function will have been removed, allowing you to return to better physical condition.