Help with scoliosis

People say planks are a huge help, along with all those other exercises meant to strengthen your core muscles.
I mean, I know, it’s not exactly a sport...

Ah, alright then. Thanks.🙂

Hey, Kimberly Grant.
Honestly, no single sport is going to fix this on its own.
You need specific exercises—specialized physical therapy movements designed for scoliosis—that actually show real results.
Swimming is highly recommended too, especially backstroke, because it builds up those core and lower back muscles, which makes a huge difference when dealing with scoliosis.
It really works.

Kimberly Grant said:I’ve been dealing with scoliosis, and lately, the pain has been flaring up quite a bit. I'm wondering what kind of sports are actually good for this... everyone keeps telling me swimming, but I want to know if there's anything else that might help.

thanks 🙂

First thing you should do is see a chiropractor to get things aligned as much as possible. After that, maybe try yoga or something similar to strengthen those back muscles and get everything balanced out... that way you can actually maintain the progress from the adjustments. Without a chiropractor, depending on how bad it is, no amount of sports is going to fix the issue or even make it significantly better. For instance, my old college roommate has been doing yoga for over two years now—she works out at home every single day—but her spine issues are still there. As for me, I saw a chiropractor regularly for about six months. Now, I just drop in once a month, but I hit yoga classes twice a week. I don't really work out at home, but once or twice a day I'll do a quick spinal twist to get things clicking... then my back feels great. So, thanks to the yoga, I can keep my spine in decent shape, but I still feel better whenever the chiropractor gets me lined up right. If I hadn't seen him, yoga would be pure torture for me...

From what I've gathered so far—when you have a curved spine or you just carry yourself poorly, that posture starts feeling natural. It's tough to drastically change your posture through sports alone because you end up forcing your body into an unnatural state for your muscles. That's why I think you really need something like chiropractic work to basically "re-teach" your body what its true, natural position is meant to be...

If you think seeing a chiropractor can fix scoliosis, you're missing the point—we’re talking about a three-dimensional deformation of the spine here.

Don't get me wrong, hitting the gym isn't going to magically straighten out the curve, but it definitely helps keep your muscles strong and your overall health in check. Generally, if the curvature is under 30 degrees, doctors usually suggest a "wait and see" approach—basically physical therapy, staying active through recreational sports, and regular checkups just to make sure the angle isn't getting any worse. Swimming is usually the gold standard, though pretty much any sport works as long as it isn't overly asymmetrical, like tennis. Beyond swimming, I'd say yoga and Pilates are fantastic options too.

Osteopathy is also a really interesting route to consider; I've heard it can yield some great results.

Thanks a million!🙂

Casey Palmer5 said:If I could actually find a chiropractor who could fix scoliosis... I mean, we're talking about a three-dimensional spinal deformity here. It's complicated.

Honestly, getting that sorted would probably help you way more than any sport ever could. Getting rid of the pain and fixing your posture... well, it’s about doing as much as possible without ending up in a hospital bed...

dustycanyon6 said:It’ll do you way more good than any sport ever could. It gets rid of the pain and fixes your posture—basically the best you can get without needing a walker.

Look, dustycanyon6, we're talking about scoliosis here. You aren't going to "crack" that back into place with some chiropractor's quick fix. Either you put in the work with consistent exercise, or in really bad cases, you're looking at surgery if you want any hope of improvement. I don't have anything against chiropractors, but for this? You're better off seeing a physical therapist.🙂

nimbletinker3 said:dustycanyon6, we're talking about scoliosis here. You can't just snap that back into place with a chiropractor's hands. It takes steady, patient exercise... and honestly, in really bad cases, surgery might be the only way forward. I don't have anything against chiropractors, but for this specific issue, physical therapists are a much better bet.🙂

Look, if exercise is actually going to fix the situation, then chiropractic adjustments should work just as well—maybe even better. I honestly don't get how someone could think exercises are more effective than chiropractic care when chiropractic is usually the first line of defense before you even consider surgery. If a chiropractor can't make progress, I highly doubt some workouts are going to pull a miracle out of thin air. It’s like you don't even understand what chiropractic work entails. Plus, with chiropractic care, you're basically committed to stretching every single day anyway... the practitioner gives you these routines you're supposed to do daily just to keep things moving.

So, I’ve actually started working on those scoliosis exercises—you know, the ones we discussed—but honestly, I haven't noticed any real change yet. I mean, it's probably just a matter of sticking with it for a while before things actually start shifting, right? Maybe it takes some time for them to kick in... anyway, thanks for the info!

Kimberly Grant said:I actually started doing those scoliosis exercises, but I haven't really felt much of a difference yet... I guess it probably just takes some time before they actually start working. Thanks for sharing the info.

So, what kind of issues are you dealing with because of the scoliosis? Is it causing you actual pain or something else?

Exercises aren't going to fix the structural issues, and they won't even slow down how much things shift over time. They really just help manage the pain and keep your muscles in better shape...

dustycanyon6 said:If exercise can fix things, then chiropractic adjustments should work just as well—if not better. I honestly don't get how people claim working out is more effective than chiropractic care, especially since chiropractic is basically the first step before you end up on an operating table. If a chiropractor can't fix your issue, I highly doubt some gym routine will. Do you even know what chiropractic treatment actually entails? Plus, you have to stretch every single day alongside your sessions; a chiropractor gives you specific exercises that you’re supposed to be doing daily anyway.

Well, you literally just admitted it yourself—the chiropractor points you toward exercises that need to be done consistently.
I don't see the problem here. Look, I’m not looking for a fight or trying to go back and forth with you, but could you actually explain what else a chiropractor does besides that?
I'm just asking.🙂

Best,

dustycanyon6 said:What kind of issues are you actually dealing with because of the scoliosis? Like, is there actual pain involved or what?

Yeah, my lower back is killing me.

Kimberly Grant said:Yeah, my lower back is killing me.

Why don't you just find a solid chiropractor? Honestly, you're better off just dealing with the pain or making up excuses than not doing what actually works. Usually, you feel some real relief right after that first session, and depending on how bad it is, the pain might even vanish completely after a few visits. I mean, unless money is tight, because those appointments can get pricey... but man, is it worth it. What can I say—if I hadn't seen a chiropractor, my spine would be a total disaster by now. It’s not perfect right this second, but it’s definitely manageable. I probably should be going in maybe two or three times a month to stay on track, but I really hate parting with the cash... so I just aim for once a month and pray my back doesn't totally fall apart before the next visit.

nimbletinker3 said:Well, you actually just said it yourself—the chiropractor points you toward exercises that need to be done regularly.
I don't see what the big deal is there. I was wondering if you could walk us through what else a chiropractor can actually do... I'm not trying to be difficult or start some kind of back-and-forth argument here.
🙂

Best,

The exercises are mostly stretching stuff, you know? Just getting the circulation going and waking up those muscles. It’s a shame my paperwork from the chiropractor didn't include those killer level-two yoga moves... I do one of them every morning and night, and man, I can practically hear my spine clicking back into place. Total relief...

A chiropractor aligns your spine, eases the pain, or gets rid of it entirely... They can even help with random health issues you didn't even realize were being caused by pinched nerves coming off your vertebrae.

Look, I'm not saying chiropractic care is a magic fix for everything, but think about it this way: if your spine isn't in top shape, why would you expect your body to feel perfect? (Just a thought...) Standard medicine usually just chases symptoms, whereas chiropractic work tries to dig up the actual root cause so the body can heal itself. If it doesn't work, then clearly the spine wasn't the culprit. But hey, at least now you know...

I’m a big fan of seeing a chiropractor, plus hitting yoga twice a week helps a ton too.

It’s actually pretty wild how much relief you can feel right in your upper spine after an adjustment...

MaxB, I’m right there with you on the whole chiropractor thing. Their
spinal manipulation skills? Top tier. But look, we’ve been through this here regarding
scoliosis and spinal deformities. No amount of cracking and popping is going to fix a structural curve. It’s not happening. Like crosstown spinner mentioned, the only thing they can really do is hit those specific spots where pressure builds up, which might offer some relief and drop the pain levels. As for the exercises they prescribe? Give me a break. It’s basically just physical therapy rebranded. Nothing new under the sun.

Later