SOSORT is an international scientific research society dedicated to furthering the most effective treatment of scoliosis by conservative methods. This society, made up of MD’s, PT’s and Orthotists meets yearly. SOSORT 2016 took place in May in Banff, Canada. This year’s meeting was specifically organized as a joint meeting with IRSSD (International Research Society of… Continue Reading →
How About My Aching Sacroiliac Joint?
Our bodies are amazingly capable of compensating, allowing us to continue to move and function in our busy lives. Unfortunately, compensation often comes with a cost. The Sacroiliac joint (SI joint) is a common source of compensation and pain when movement elsewhere in the body becomes problematic. The most common issue I see in the… Continue Reading →
Treating Scoliosis Conservatively: Getting the Message Out
Last month, our own Lisa Mangino PT, DPT, PCS, C/NDT, PRC was invited to Fayettville NC to present on “Current Concepts in 3 Dimensional Conservative Management of Scoliosis”. The objectives of the presentation were to help therapists gain an understanding of body imbalances related to scoliosis, to learn about scoliosis measurement tools and x-rays, and… Continue Reading →
What are Curvatures of the Spine?
The human spine is made up of 33 stacked vertebrae. These segments allow small movements in all directions which facilitates balance in the upright position. A normal human spine is not straight. There are small curves at the neck, upper back and low back. If these curves become exaggerated, posture, mobility and stability of the… Continue Reading →
Wow! Science Helps Understand “Your Brain in Pain”
This is what a pain pathway, known as a “neurotag” might look like in your brain: Yup! Complicated. That’s a lot to take in isn’t it? The main idea though is that each person will experience pain in a unique way and in different parts of the brain, based on their experiences, perception, fear and… Continue Reading →
67 year old female with a 52 degree lumbar curve due to scoliosis….
The following is a recent testimonial from a patient who traveled from Wilmington to Advance Physical Therapy in Chapel Hill for treatment of scoliosis and kyphosis: I have a smaller thoracic curve and kyphosis as well. I have tried different physical therapists, acupuncture, massage and exercise but nothing worked for the pain I was experiencing… Continue Reading →
Release Your Neck!
Easier said than done, right? So why do necks stay so tight all the time? When we work with patients who have chronic neck pain and shoulder tension, we usually find dysfunctional breathing patterns directly related to poor core body postures. Did you know the best muscle for getting air into your body is the… Continue Reading →
Vicious to Virtuous Cycle in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis – Part 2
* Muscle Imbalance * Gravity * Breathing * Body Schema * Walking The Vicious Cycle describes how these factors, listed above begin to reinforce curvatures that have developed, often in hypermobile, restless, young people. (see part 1) However, it has been postulated that these same factors could be utilized to re-balance curvatures if applied in… Continue Reading →
Scoliosis: From Vicious to Virtuous Cycle- Part I
As mentioned in my previous blog, the vicious cycle concept has been researched and developed by Dr. Ian Stokes. Simply stated, it describes how environmental and physiological factors contribute to the progression of a curvature once that curve has passed a certain limit. About 25 degrees is the generally acknowledged tipping point. What are these… Continue Reading →
Postural Restoration lends the support our bodies need
Support comes in many forms. I recently completed my certification in Postural Restoration (PRC). I could not have achieved this designation without the support of my co-workers at Advance Physical Therapy, the clients I care for, my family or the faculty at the Postural Restoration Institute. Postural Restoration is an exciting and effective approach to… Continue Reading →
What are your shoes telling you?
These are the shoes of an active, healthy 13 year old boy. He came to see me at Advance Physical Therapy due to left hip and back pain. His shoes told me that his posture was not centered because of unbalanced muscle use. He told me that his posture was unbalanced because he… Continue Reading →
Children and Back Pain
Last week there was a story on NPR about young athletes and back pain. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/03/269521744/young-athletes-risk-back-injury-by-playing-too-much-too-soon The story was about children who are spending increased time with one sport, resulting in overuse injuries, particularly back pain. With the added excitement of the Olympics this month, young people are inspired to compete and to perform to… Continue Reading →
Make a “BAD BACK” a “GOOD BACK”
A friend mentioned to me the other day that they knew so and so who did this and that and….. it was “too bad they had a bad back”. I said “What do you mean?” “Oh, you know he has just always had a bad back, there’s really nothing you can do about that right? … Continue Reading →
Scoliosis and Schroth-based Method of exercises
These are the experiences from one of our families seeing us for the treatment of their teenage child’s scoliosis: “C (13 yr old female) had a scoliosis upper curve of 51 degrees and lower one of 45 degrees in Jan 2013. Two top Ortho surgeons in Raleigh both recommended surgery ASAP. We felt that surgery… Continue Reading →
