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PILATES APPLIED TO SCOLIOSIS IN A TEENAGE CLIENT
A BASI Pilates Program designed to help correct a serious spinal condition on a 16 year-old girl
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Geneviève ACQUIER
October 2013
Comprehensive Teacher Training Course (CTTC)
Paris
This paper presents the case study of my 16 year old step-daughter
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named Hortense CHAMPY. She was diagnosed with scoliosis at the
age of 14. As a result of this painful spinal condition she has to wear
what we call in France a ‘corset’ for a minimum of 8 hours a day,
usually in the evenings and throughout her sleep. She has regular
sessions with a physio who gives her a series of movements and also
makes necessary adjustments to her corset. This plastic apparatus looks
like an armour which keeps her torso tight and straight in supine and
seated positions.
During her two-month school holidays last summer I decided to
prepare a Pilates program aimed at relieving her from the pain
she feels almost daily particularly in the shoulder region.
Pilates exercises have been used by physiotherapists and Pilates
instructors to strengthen weak core muscles and stretches the part
of the trunk which is tight due to the S curve of the spine.
Pilates is considered very safe and ultimately very effective in giving
some control back to people by educating them on how to work in
flexion and extension. Hortense’s case was a great way to learn more
about this condition.
First I proceeded to give her an evaluation based on my observations
during her Roll-down. I previously had a good look at her X-rays to
check how bad her S curve was and which was her weaker side.
Attached are some copies of her X-Rays taken at different stages
of her treatment.
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The proposed program for the first 1 – 10 sessions was partly inspired by
Kathy Corey Mat Class No. 707 on Pilates Anytime.
Equipment
Exercise
Objectives and Benefits
Mat
Roll Down
Alignment of the hips
Spinal articulation
Mat
Pelvic Curl
Spinal articulation and stretch
Pelvic lumbar stabilization
Variation with crossed legs x 4 (both sides twice, one more time on the right side to emphasize
the asymmetry needed to create a more ‘balanced’ body).
Mat
Spine Twist Supine
Spinal rotation
Pelvic lumbar stabilization
Mat
Leg Circles
Hip joint mobility and stretch
Mat
Hundred Prep
Abdominal strength
Mat
Roll Up
Spinal mobility and stability
Abdominal strength
Mat
Roll-like-a-ball
Shoulder and trunk stabilization
Variation with crossed legs again.
Reformer
Footwork
Activation of internal core
Pelvic floor stability and awareness
Reformer
Hundred Prep
Abdominal strength
Reformer
Tilt on Short Box
Oblique control and stretch
Pelvic stabilization
Reformer
Twist on Short Box
Abdominal strength
Trunk stabilization
Reformer
Frog
Circles (Up, Down)
Openings
Pelvic lumbar stabilization
Pelvic lumbar stabilization
Hip adductor stretch and strength
Pelvic lumbar stabilization
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3
Ladder Barrel
Shoulder Stretches
1 & 2 strength
Shoulder extensor and flexor
Mat
Child Pose
Spine elongation/Stretch of the
lower back
Cadillac
Monkey Original
Spinal stretch and mobility
Cadillac
Tower Prep
Spinal articulation
Hamstring stretch
Mat
Swan Prep
Back extensor strength
and stretch
Variation with the extension of one arm up. More repetitions on the weaker side.
Mat
Cat Stretch
Lumbar spine stretch
Mat
Rest Position
Lumbar spine stretch
The Rest Position was an effective end to our session as I tried to elongate her spine further by
placing one hand on her lower back and the other up the spine to rest on the crown of her head.
After the 10th session I added more exercises aimed at increasing her shoulder girdle mobility
and function.
Using light hand weights and lying supine on the Cadillac with a neck support legs bent, feet on
the mat hip distance apart I asked her to abduct her arms until a stretch was felt accross the front
of the chest.
Then I asked her to move her arms in the opposite direction until the left arm was aligned beside
the left hip and the right arm was aligned with the right ear. Exercises also done later using the
foam roller to lie supine on instead of the mat of the Cadillac.
Finally I asked her to stand near a wall so one of her arms could be extended in lateral rotation
with the palm on the wall. The hand was just below the shoulder and her body was turned a little
away from the arm. By pressing the palm on the wall she could gently stretch her shoulder.
Then I asked her to move her feet and body away more from the wall and repeat the stretch.
Each side was done 3 times.
CONCLUSION
Once detected, living and dealing with scoliosis will always be part of
one’s life. By integrating some Pilates movements into one’s daily routine one can expect some benefits and changes as there is no quick fix.
In her book Teaching Pilates for Postural Faults, Illness and Injury the
author rightly says : « It is doubtful that exercises alone correct scoliosis.
A vigorous and thoroughly supervised exercise programme may re-educate patient and muscles so as to correct a functional curve.
The muscles forces that can be applied are of a relatively low amplitude
and frequency and usually of short duration, and they are rarely working
at a significant mechanical advantage for correction of the scoliosic spine.
Exercise should not be relied upon to hold or correct a curve when used
alone».
In Hortense’s case Pilates has certainly strengthened her core. By doing
a specific Pilates routine regularly her improved strength will help reduce some of her compensatory holding patterns and give her greater
overall comfort.
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Bibliography/Research Material
1 . Body Arts and Science International
Study Guide – Rael Isacowitz
2 . Body Arts and Science International
Mat Movement Analysis Workbook
3 . Body Arts and Science International
Reformer Movement Analysis Workbook
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4 . Pilates Anytime Videos
5 . Pilates for Scoliosis by Suzanne Martin, PT, DPT
4. Teaching Pilates for Postural Faults, Illness and Injury
A practical guide, by Jane Paterson
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X-ray 1
Hortense with her corset.
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X-ray 2 - Hortense without
her corset at the beginning
of her scoliosis treatment
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X-ray 3 - Hortense without
her corset after 16 months
scoliosis treatment
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