If you have followed me on Instagram for over 36 hours, you have heard/seen me talk about scoliosis. I was diagnosed in seventh grade with two different curves: 27 and 32 degrees. I never had a brace or surgery and was routinely checked to see if the degrees were getting better, worse, or staying the same. Over the last few years, my scoliosis (and appearance) has improved dramatically. Most people don’t even know I have it based on the photos and videos I share (where my older content is extremely noticeable if you know what to look for).

As always, this blog is not medical advice. I am sharing what has worked for me to improve the appearance of my spine and lessen the degrees of my spine curves. If you suspect you have scoliosis or were diagnosed prior, this may or may not work for you. I am very passionate about it and have a lot of personal experience with it. These are my tips and should not be used as gospel.

The way my spine curves has caused a few structural issues that became extremely apparent when I started Pilates with Whitney and working with my personal trainer, Michael. You will see them referenced throughout. I have a few limitations that my skeletal system does not allow for (mainly anything back loaded, IE back bar squats). We also make a lot of modifications during my glute and hamstring days. My right hamstring is much stronger than my left hamstring, yet my left glute is larger and more active than my right glute.

My Tips / What Has Helped Me

• Pilates
  • I started Pilates in early 2023 and have since fallen in love with it- so much so that I am doing three classes a week, have an at-home reformer, and want to become certified once the kids are older. This is the catalyst for the most extreme transformation in my physique since I began weight training. Pilates has my heart; if you want to read more about it, you can access that blog HERE.
  • When it comes to scoliosis, we emphasize spine mobility, lower back strength, pelvic floor isolation, and flexibility. When done correctly, these can have an extremely positive impact on scoliosis appearance, pain, and limitations. You never have to take my word for it; you can always validate and fact-check with published medical journals—like this one.
• Chiropractic Work
  • Since moving to Iowa in 2019, I’ve been getting chiropractic work every 10-14 days. Because scoliosis can cause spinal misalignment, a chiropractor can use natural chiropractic methods to help with posture and spinal alignment. 
  • Published Medical Journal
• ESTIM
  • Due to the imbalance in my glute and hamstring strength, my lower back usually would take over the workload on most of my leg / lower body days. Poor form, on my part, exacerbated the problem over the years. Once I started working with Michael, we were able to correct many form issues, which revealed the imbalance in strength in my lower back (my right QL was much weaker than my left and would never activate when the left side would be fired up at all times). The QL is the meaty part of your lower back (Josh refers to it as my tenderloin). To combat the imbalance, I use my ETSIM (or TENS) unit for 15 – 20 minutes a day on my right side to wake the right side muscles up without activating the left (this principle could be used or replicated on other body parts). Balancing the right and left QL resulted in better form during lower body days, which helps protect the spine, takes the lower back out of many movements, and results in a more efficient core. 
  • ESTM Unit I Use (same one I use for restless leg syndrome relief) 
• Dead Hangs
  • Certain stretches and exercises—dead hangs being one of them—can usually alleviate the pain associated with scoliosis.
• Leg Raises on Hyper Machine
  • Similar to the benefits above, using ESTIM, doing leg raises while lying on the hyper machine can alleviate lower back pain and help with overall spine health. The reverse hyper takes your lumbar spine (low back) through its entire range of motion, from flexion through extension. The flexion portion tractions the spine, essentially stretching and decompressing it.
• Personal Trainer
  • I cannot say enough good things about Michael. He has completely changed how I train my lower body. The weekly tweaks we make to improve and modify form FOR ME have made a difference in my strength and stability. He can watch how much of my body works together and make small adjustments to keep my lower back out of the exercises. The cues he gives me also transcend into my other body part lifts.
    • Modifications
      • We have made quite a few modifications to accommodate MY specific state of condition. These could make your problem worse so please don’t blindly follow them (this is also a very short list, we change every single exercise we do on leg day). An example: on the hip thrust machine, I use elevated platforms to force the pressure into my heel and out of my toes, the right one is usually slightly forward than the left foot due to my curves, and we also add a curved ab mat to compensate for my hip rotation limitations. Another example: chest supported cable kick backs using a bench instead of bent over or leaning kickbacks to take my lower back out of the movement.
• T Spine Activation / Mobility
  • In mat Pilates, we work on spine activation and mobility. Exercises include cat and cow, thread the needle, foam rolling, side lying rotations, and others. If you want exercise ideas and demos, I recommend using Google or YouTube! I aim for at least 20 minutes of t-spine work a week.
• Toe Spacers
• Training Barefoot
  • On lower body days and during alpha, I have been training barefoot to prevent any of my shoes to create an imbalanced in my already uneven hips / lower back.
• Cupping / Body Work