Can yoga help when you suffer from scoliosis? Or is it actually counter-productive and even dangerous?
I've recently come across the article Yoga for Scoliosis - Be Very Careful on the Schroth Method website and it pushed a few buttons for me which is why I'm writing this blog post. It is suggested that certain yoga poses like twists and backbends should absolutely not be practiced by anyone with scoliosis. Also trikonasana and and cobra should be avoided ("forbidden") and wheel pose can actually be dangerous.
I have not experienced the Schroth Method myself, however, I know people who swear by it. There is no doubt that Christa Lehnert-Schroth is an expert in treating scoliosis but how much does she know about yoga? I'm not quite sure...
Before making up your mind about if yoga is good or bad for scoliosis I wanted to share my own experience and my own thoughts on this.
I started practising yoga 13 years ago because I was suffering from lower back pain and lots of tension in my neck in shoulders. I have an s curve with a primary curve in my lumbar spine and a compensating curve in the thoracic spine. It's a mild scoliosis but enough to cause pain and for my orthopedic surgeon to suggest I should start wearing a heel lift in my shoes.
Yoga taught me how to manage my back pain, it helped me to feel more balanced and centered (before that I just felt permanently lob-sided). It helped me to be more aware of my weak and strong muscles and how to deal with my scoliosis in day to day life.
Yoga is a very personal practice. And every spine is different!
So my first question to ask would be what degree of scoliosis are we talking about here? Is it the same for mild scoliosis to somebody who has a severe scoliosis? Where does it start being "dangerous" to practice yoga? Considering that anyone with a curve above 10 degrees is classified as scoliotic spine there is a very wide range!
I have tried various styles of yoga and there is a huge difference between for example Bikram Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Scaravelli Yoga. Just to name a few.
There is no certain style being attacked here, it seems to be more the specific poses that seem to be the problem. Do you experience triangle pose in a fast vinyasa class the same way as in Iyengar Yoga? What about Scaravelli Yoga? For me these would be different experiences just because approaches to the practice as slightly different.
I know my curve, I know what to look out for, I know which parts of my body need more space and need to lengthen. Yes, ok I have dedicated quite a lot of time into really understanding my body and my scoliosis but why wouldn't this be possible for anyone else practising yoga? Why should we have to limit ourselves?
I love twists. I have students with scoliosis that won't be able to do twists and I have students who find them really beneficial. Backbends don't have to be practiced with extreme compression in the lower back. If we focus on length and creating space they can be really beneficial.
Trikonasana is one of my favourite yoga poses so I was really disappointed when I saw it on the list of "bad" poses for scoliosis. If you practice with body awareness, if you practice mindfully, if you breathe and allow the body to open with ease then absolutely is yoga good for scoliosis! It's great!
- yoga can help to release muscles that have been overworked
- yoga can strengthen muscles that need strengthening
- pranayama can help to improve lung capacity and reduce anxiety
- yoga can help to improve body awareness
- yoga can help to promote a positive self image
More...
Most importantly it teaches us compassion with ourselves, it teaches us to be kind to our bodies, it teaches us to breathe deeper, letting go of negative emotions and judgement.
I do agree that practicing without awareness can cause damage but that is the same for anyone - with or without scoliosis. As long as we practice mindfully and listen to our bodies, yoga is a very safe and therapeutic practice.
Thanks for this Christine, I think as you say, it’s about practicing with awareness and listening to your body.
My daughter had scoliosis at 80% curvature. Post surgery she’s now at around 23%. Luckily her surgeon has recommended yoga going forward. She isn’t able to do all the twists, but is tuned in to her body, and knows where to stop pushing herself. This is the key.
Great to hear that the surgery worked out well for her! I’m glad that she is doing yoga and wish her all the best!
Thank you for “clearing the air” out there on the Internet about the “don’ts” of yoga poses from your own personal experience. It’s too confusing for us to know what is/isn’t healthy for our curves and really is about how the poses are done and what your limitations are. It’s reassuring to know someone who has paved a way for those with the same challenges!