Rehabilitation for scoliosis

Scoliosis is a progressive disease in which there is an arcuate curvature of the spinal column in the frontal plane, twisting of the vertebrae around the vertical axis, i.e. the appearance of torsion. Thus, scoliosis differs from a violation of posture precisely by the presence of torsion.

In addition, with scoliosis, deformations appear in the pelvic bones and chest. This disrupts the work of the cardiovascular, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract. That is why experts call the disease not scoliosis, but scoliotic disease. It is physiotherapy exercises that help to get rid of scoliosis. About what it is, how rehabilitation for scoliosis is carried out, and what effect to expect from it - we will tell further.

What is involved in scoliosis rehabilitation?

Therapeutic exercise is a priority physical method of rehabilitation for scoliosis. It helps to get rid of scoliosis 1 and 2 stages. If the patient has stage 3 and 4 scoliosis, physiotherapy exercises are used as an addition to the main therapy. Moreover, rehabilitation for scoliosis of the 2nd degree in children also begins with physiotherapy exercises.

She:

• eliminates imbalance in muscles and ligaments;
• relieves excess load on the spine;
• corrects posture;
• strengthens the muscular corset of the back;
• has a general healing effect on the entire body.

Usually physiotherapy exercises are supplemented with massage, physiotherapy procedures, corset.

Do not forget that its effectiveness depends on the following factors. From:

• the type of illness that has arisen;
• forms of curvature of the spine. It can take C, Z, S shape;
• the degree of development of the disease. Doctors divide scoliosis into 4 main degrees;
• patient's age.

Remember: scoliosis in a 10-15 year old child is easier to fix. At this time, his body is growing intensively, you can correct the spine with physical exercises.

How to do the exercises correctly

In order for therapeutic exercises to lead to the desired result, the patient is required, when performing it, to observe the following simple rules. They are:

• Before performing the complex, do a warm-up. It helps to warm up the patient's body, prevents excessive stretching of muscles and ligaments.
• The complex is performed at a slow pace. Sharp movements are excluded. Also, the patient should not jump and perform acrobatic exercises.
• You can not overstrain the muscles too much, so do not take dumbbells and a barbell.
• Therapeutic gymnastics can be practiced only after consultation with a physician who treats the patient. It is a specialist who knows everything about the patient's illness who will be able to choose effective exercises that are suitable for this particular person.

Therapeutic exercises for scoliosis

In general, medical gymnastics is divided into three main parts. It includes:

• warm-up;
• the main set of exercises;
• final part.

Below is a special set. It includes only basic, symmetrical exercises. They are ideal for gymnastics performed by the patient at home on their own. Moreover, they have a minimal effect on the damaged spinal column, so a person is not able to get injured during such exercises.

If the patient performs asymmetric exercises, then the load on the spinal column will be very large. And this increases the risk of injury to a person.

Effective warm-up exercises

Before performing a warm-up, the patient must prepare the ligamentous apparatus. It is imperative to improve breathing, activate blood circulation in muscles and tissues.

In addition, before warming up, the patient must prepare the back. She should be as relaxed as possible. It's very easy to relax. To do this, the patient needs to get on all fours and slowly begin to move over a fixed area. The complex is done in 15 minutes.

Now consider a set of exercises designed to warm up. Remember that you need to repeat them 5-10 times. Patient:

1. Leans back against the wall. Moreover, the heels, calf muscles and buttocks should lightly touch the wall. Then he straightens his back and gives it the right position. Then he needs to move away from the wall, but keep his back as well. In this case, you need to breathe evenly, holding your breath is not required.
2. He stands up straight, puts his hands along the body, and spreads his legs shoulder-width apart. Then he begins to squat, and brings his hands forward. The back is straight. This complex is performed slowly. Squatting, the patient exhales all the air, and rising, inhales it.
3. He spreads his legs shoulder-width apart, does not use his hands, counts to 1, raises his hands up. At the count of “2”, he stretches his arms up, and at the count of “3”, he exhales air, lowers his hands. The back is straight.
4. He spreads his legs shoulder-width apart, but does not fix his hands in any way. The back should be straight. Then he performs circular movements with his shoulders. First, they are performed forward, and then backward.
5. Gets up straight. Then he bends one leg at the knee and pulls it to the stomach. Then he holds this position for several seconds. Then the complex is repeated with the other leg. Experts recommend doing 3-5 repetitions with each leg.

Having studied in detail the exercises that are suitable for warming up, now let's move on to the main part of the lesson.

Basic exercises included in physiotherapy exercises

These exercises are done after a warm-up. They do it this way. Patient:

1. Lies on his back, raises his legs above the floor at an angle of 30-40 degrees. So the patient performs an exercise that imitates scissors. This complex is performed in the horizontal and vertical plane. You need to do 4 approaches, i.e. 2 in each plane. Remember that one approach should last at least 30 seconds.
2. Gets on all fours. Then he tries to sit on his heels, and rest his hands on the floor. In this case, you can not unbend your back. In this position, he begins to move his hands to the left, then to the right. The body should move with the hands. The movements are slow, lingering at each point. You need to complete 5 exercises in each direction.
3. Gets on all fours. At the same time, he should kneel on the floor, put his hands on the floor, bend forward a little. Moreover, arms and legs should be placed shoulder-width apart. Holding this position, the patient bends the back down, up. This complex, which is part of the medical rehabilitation of a patient with scoliosis, is performed in a slow mode. You need to make 5 deflections.
4. He picks up a pillow, puts it on the floor, lays his stomach on it. In this case, the hands must be clasped behind in a tight lock. Then he begins to bend upwards, but the spine does not overstrain much. Only the lower back works. The complex must be done 10 times.
5. He gets up, spreads his leg shoulder-width apart, and puts his hands along his body, shifts his shoulder blades together, holds this position for 5 seconds. Movements are carried out only by the pectoral muscles. The complex is repeated 10 times.
6. Gets on all fours. Takes the left arm forward and the right leg back. This position is held for 5 seconds. The whole complex is repeated with the other arm and leg. You need to do at least 10 times.
7. Lies on his back, bends his legs at the knees, presses them to each other. At the same time, hands should be spread apart and placed on the floor. Then he tilts his head to the left side, and takes his legs to the right side. The complex is repeated at least 7 times. It helps to work out the cervical and lumbar region.
8. Lies on its side, i.e. on the side where there is a curvature of the spinal column. In this case, under the waist you need to put a pillow or roller. Then he bends the upper leg at the knee, and leaves the lower leg in its original position. Then he raises his upper hand, holds it above his head. The lower hand grabs the lower part of the neck. This position must be held for at least 10 seconds. Next, the patient lies on his back and relaxes. Then he repeats the complex again, but holds the final position for 5 seconds.

When a person has warmed up well, he can proceed to the final part of the gymnastics.

Final exercises in therapeutic exercises

At the end of the lesson, the patient needs to do the following simple complex. He:

• Sits on a special mat or regular carpet. Then he bends his knees, wraps his arms around them. He then lays down on his back and then starts rolling on his back. The roll starts from the neck and ends near the sacrum. This massage helps to strengthen the back muscles and ligaments. The complex is performed at least 8 times.
• He gets up, holding his hands behind his back in the castle. Then he gets on his heels and begins to walk on them. The complex lasts about 30 seconds.
• He gets up, stretches his arms up and stands on his toes. Then he starts walking on his toes. The complex is repeated for 30 seconds.
• Starts walking around. In this case, the hips must be raised very high. The complex lasts 30 seconds.
• He gets up, raises his hands up, takes a deep breath. Then the patient holds this position, and then he exhales the air, lowers his hands down.

After such a complex, doctors recommend the patient to relax, rest. You need to rest for at least 10-15 minutes.

Remember: this complex must be performed every day. The final result depends on how often and how correctly the patient performs it.

In addition to this complex, experts recommend that the patient perform special preventive exercises. They will help stop the further development of the disease.

Lateral curvature of the spinal column is considered especially dangerous by physicians. With such a curvature, the entire ligamentous apparatus suffers. This changes the tension in paired muscles. On the one hand, they are very tense, and on the other hand, they are very relaxed. A person with such a curvature must definitely move. Otherwise, muscle atrophy will occur. And be sure to include exercises in its complex:

• Symmetrical. They help keep the spinal column in a normal position. In this case, the load is distributed evenly over all muscles, the tone disappears, the spinal column is aligned.
• Asymmetrical. With such exercises, the load falls on only one part of the muscles. The other side will be in a relaxed position.
• Detorsion. Such exercises relieve tone from tense muscles, strengthen relaxed muscles.
• Fortifying. Such exercises increase a person’s endurance, stimulate the immune system, and contribute to the physical development of the body.

Consider a complex that helps get rid of thoracic scoliosis. Patient:

• Lies on his stomach, spreads his arms to the sides. Then he raises his head, shoulders, and clenches his hands into fists. At first, this complex must be performed 5 times, and then reach 15.
• Lies on the stomach, and stretches the arms along the body. Then he raises his legs, but the buttocks cannot be raised from the floor. The complex is repeated 5 times.

How to prevent the development of the disease

It is very easy to prevent the development of scoliosis. Initially, the patient needs to lead an active lifestyle. But he will have to completely abandon traumatic sports exercises. Swimming is preferable. It ideally helps to get rid of ailments localized in the spinal column. Also swimming:

• relaxes the muscles of the back;
• helps to strengthen the muscular corset;
• improves coordination.

In addition, a patient with scoliosis can go in for equestrian sports, ride a bike, ski.

Also, during prophylaxis, the patient should take into account the following simple rules. He needs:

1. Always sit with a straight back.
2. Do not bend your torso too much and do not tilt your head forward. Pay special attention to your back while sitting at a computer or watching TV.
3. Choose the right chairs for the height. They should correspond to the length of the patient's lower leg. Moreover, while sitting, the patient's leg should stand firmly on the floor, and not hang in the air.
4. When sitting at a computer for a long time, be sure to take 20-minute breaks. During a break, a person can get up and stretch a little.
5. Get up 2-3 times a day and do back and forth bends. This helps relieve tension from the back muscles. If a person does not have the opportunity to stand up, then he can do the exercises while sitting on a chair.
6. With a long stay in a standing position, try to transfer the weight of the body to one or the other leg. Doctors recommend changing body position every 10 minutes. This will reduce the load on the spinal column.
7. Do not carry heavy objects in one hand. They should be evenly distributed in both hands. Very heavy objects should not be lifted high.
8. Relax on a bed with a medium firm mattress and a small pillow. So the cervical spine will be in the same position with the rest of the back.

To sum up: scoliosis is not a dangerous disease. You can get rid of it with exercise. But you can remove the curvature only at the initial stage of the disease. If the disease is in a severe stage, then gymnastic exercises alone will not help here. In this case, you need to consult an experienced doctor. Patients with scoliosis should not choose their own gymnastic exercises. This can lead to increased pain and poor health.