Aligning 50 Year Old Female

Bigger Stronger Leaner Over 35 Lifter
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[quote]cavalier wrote:
[My scoliosis seems be “idiopathic”, which means no obvious cause. Doesn’t look reversable. Idiopathic scoliosis develops as bone growth develops. Once growth stops (low 20’s), the scoliosis stops growing. Other scoliosis is “functional”, spine gets pushed out of shape, you can retrain to eliminate it.

One of my cousins also has it, suggesting it’s congenital. It consists of 2 C curves, one cervical, the other lumbar. The cervical is minor, the lumbar a bit worse, but not enough for any doctor to recommend surgery. Both curves are mainly lateral.

I was put through rehab exercise years ago to help strengthen up the core (I was horribly weak most of my life) by an orthopedic doctor. Since then, have concentrated on keeping back muscles strong to hold things in place. By now I can arch my back in my sleep.

Haven’t seen a chiro or ortho doc in a while. Job problems, and we don’t have the medical care you folks have, ours can cost a pretty penny. No pain, I can squat and deadlift fine, so I’m happy. However, I can feel the right side of low back jutting out a bit more than left side. Twisting my hips counterclockwise a bit makes everything nice and even. When squatting or DLing, I try to put a bit of twist there to correct for the scoliosis, but don’t always remember. At any rate, the muscles seem to be developing equally.

Have experimented with twisting hips left side down right side up, hoping that will correct the lateral curve. Seems to help, but too much to concentrate on when lifting. I wear a heel lift in right shoe to help.[/quote]

Hmm ok thanx for filling me in.

Well I got my xrays from 2005 back today (had to order them special) and in 2005 only L4 & L5 were rotated. Now in 2011, they are rotated all the way up to T6. So I don’t know if L4/L5 are congenital or not but the rest isn’t. My nieces have terrible posture and my brother’s right shoulder blade is sticking way out with one shoulder higher than the other so I really don’t know what my case is. Oh and btw, my doctor told me nothing in 2005.

yes & speaking of the Canadian health care system- nope, not so good, imho. Now, if I had have laid on the couch for the last 30 years and developed heart disease and needed a bypass (life threatening) then yes, they would operate in a matter of weeks. But for non life threateneing stuff like this there is nothing. There are GP’s (who know nothing about backs) and then orthopedic specialists that you cannot get in to see unless it is way way serious like a life threatening deformity. They won’t even send me to an orthopod.

So I spend $75-$100 a pop (max 30 minute) on physiotherapists who may or may not know much- and belive me I have yet to meet any as knowlegable as the guys who write articles here on T-Nation. One shoulder guy I went to said he doesn’t even believe in alignment- that cost me $100.

Anyway thank you very much. That idea about twisting the pelvis during squats, I tried that already and wow, great idea- I can feel all my muscles adjusting all the way up my back. Seee- that is an example- my current physio has me doing unweighted squats and I keep complaining that I don’t know how to position my pelvis and she says just keep knees over toes. But I am sure you can understand that there are many ways to do that. She doesn’t understand that.

[quote]cavalier wrote:

By now I can arch my back in my sleep.
.[/quote]

I don’t understand- is that good or bad?

Anyway, I did some research on scoliosis and torsional strength training is supposed to be very good. I am really hesitant to do very much of it until I know more but it makes sense to me. Also, for supine core work, since the hips still really are rotated even supine, do you do anything special there like put something under one of your butt cheeks? I am thinking of doing that…

ttyl:)

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[quote]JoeGood wrote:
Welcome to the old folks home.[/quote]

Thanx :wink:

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[quote]Yo Momma wrote:

Check this out:

[/quote]

Thank you Yo Mamma!. I am hoping that the muscles and fascia in my right leg just sort of contracted from being rotated for approx 6 years- in which case rolling and massage will reallly help!

I am so glad I joined this forum!

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[quote]Reconstruction wrote:

[quote]big nurse wrote:
As a previous back injured nurse i will be watching this one carefully, especially as having reduced rotation to one side which causes all sorts of problems in my canoeing/kayaking.

And…Welcome by the way…[/quote]

Thanx Big Nurse- so I am wondering- why do you have reduced rotation to one side? From the injury you mentioned? When did you find out? Which direction I wonder? I am thinking of taking up golf to help derotate- I don’t like golf but I am right handed so I will swing to the left- (I am rotated to the right)

Ha, sorry for the questions, you don’t have to reply but I’d love to know![/quote]

Hard to pinpoint when things started but probably a whole series of back injuries as a nurse. (some appalling practices in my early sdays)

I did have one specific injury where i broke a facet bone and that does now limit my rotation to the right–interstingly that was picked up by a canoe coach who realised that i could’t trunk rotate enough to make certain moves on my ‘off’ side and taught me a few ways of getting around that problem.
As it happens i am unusual as a paddler in that i am a natural ‘leftie’ and have decent rotation to that side.

I am still prone to the occaisonal back problem and am pretty careful around any lifts involving spinal loading–although getting stronger at the moment.
I do also have a very good recovery regime for when things do go wrong.

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Sorry about the confusion on back arching. I just meant I learned a lot of control over my lo back muscles.

It doesn’t sound like you have scoliosis, at any rate, I don’t want to play doctor and give you a program. No idea why your vertebrae are rotated, that can happen in scoliosis, but the lateral curve is more prominent.

I don’t put anything under my butt. Just the heal lift to raise one side of pelvis and help counter-rotate the hips.

Having heard such good things about the Canadian system, sorry you’ve had problems. Oh well, when you’re in such good health, doctors won’t even look at you. Who cares if you’re hitching a 500# deadlift? If you don’t have hi cholesterol or cancer, get lost.

I was lucky, found one ortho doc who was delighted to put me on rehab. Those golf exercises look familiar, think he had me doing stuff like that. But there was another ortho doc - oh, please don’t get me started on HIM.

    • THOUGHT OF THE DAY * *

Anyone notice when you take reverse grip on DL, your body starts twisting? I got the habit of holding one way on all heavy lifts, since that seems to twist my body into correcting the scoliosis. But wouldn’t that create imbalances? So on warmup sets, I grip the opposite way. Do I know what I’m talking about?

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Welcome. Lot of very knowledgable people on here when it comes to rehab. Myself not included. Make sure you check out Kevin’s (kmcnyc) “mobility for Old Farts” stickied at the top of the forum.

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Welcome
Tis is a secret jewel of this site.

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[quote]big nurse wrote:
[Hard to pinpoint when things started but probably a whole series of back injuries as a nurse. (some appalling practices in my early sdays)

I did have one specific injury where i broke a facet bone and that does now limit my rotation to the right–interstingly that was picked up by a canoe coach who realised that i could’t trunk rotate enough to make certain moves on my ‘off’ side and taught me a few ways of getting around that problem.
As it happens i am unusual as a paddler in that i am a natural ‘leftie’ and have decent rotation to that side.

I am still prone to the occaisonal back problem and am pretty careful around any lifts involving spinal loading–although getting stronger at the moment.
I do also have a very good recovery regime for when things do go wrong.
[/quote]

Thanx for answering Big Nurse. I’m glad it sounds like it is not limiting you too much. And YES re spinal rotation with loading- even without flexion- that worries me about those wood chop moves using the pully systems.

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[quote]cavalier wrote:
… But there was another ortho doc - oh, please don’t get me started on HIM.
[/quote]

haha!
Thank you for answering :slight_smile:

[quote]cavalier wrote:

    • THOUGHT OF THE DAY * *

Anyone notice when you take reverse grip on DL, your body starts twisting? I got the habit of holding one way on all heavy lifts, since that seems to twist my body into correcting the scoliosis. But wouldn’t that create imbalances? So on warmup sets, I grip the opposite way. Do I know what I’m talking about?[/quote]

Hopefully someone else can answer that!

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[quote]hel320 wrote:
Welcome. Lot of very knowledgable people on here when it comes to rehab. Myself not included. Make sure you check out Kevin’s (kmcnyc) “mobility for Old Farts” stickied at the top of the forum. [/quote]
Thank you, I will :slight_smile:

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[quote]kmcnyc wrote:
Welcome
Tis is a secret jewel of this site.[/quote]

Thank you!

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Welcome aboard…

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OK, I am feeling very happy and relieved with all the welcomes! It has been a long year and I am so grateful to be here.

Focus of the Day:

I guess one of my easiest problems (to explain anyway) is my feet, so I will start there.(and btw, it was never my feet- it was sciatica). I also really want to share my experiences so maybe if it ever happens to any of you (I hope not) you might remember what I am about to say, and that way, a lot of my suffering wouldn’t have been a total loss.

So backtrack 4 years ago, I started ballet. We do a lot of foot exercises in ballet and I noticed I couldn’t really move my 4th and 5th toes on the left foot very well, but I wasn’t sure what the deal was- maybe I was born like that- I mean, before ballet I didn’t pay much attention to my feet. Also, over the next 4 years, my lateral ankle was always SO stiff, it was almost itchy. Also, the medial side of my arch felt “funky” at times. I went to a physio and she told me my “arches” were “falling” and I needed orthotics.

Also, around the time I started ballet, the back of my left knee became stiff for a couple of months. There was an arthritis scare (possible bakers cyst) but ultrsound showed nothing and it got better- (it was never arthritis- it was sciatica)

Fast forward 4 years and I start becoming very unstable in ballet- (we do a lot of work on one leg.) Also, the soles of my feet became sore. I decided to got to a pedoratrist (like a podiatrist), I quit all working out thinking it was plantar fascitis- to nip it in the bud. So then I start getting out of shape and my feet get more sore and tired until they start to feel sandy on the bottom (I now know that was a type of pins and needles). The podiatrist didn’t think orthotics would solve the problem and sent me to a different physio who started asking questions and she said that in her 30 years of experience foot problems are almost always a refection of the spine!

So then - (ok I only had to wait a month so not too bad)I went to a neurologist who did a couple of very quick emg studies on me- and L4 on the LHS came back “denerveted” which I guess means that the nerve is not working properly. That was way before I knew I was rotated. She didn’t test S1 but I bet she would have found it was injured as well.

So I will cut the story short there but my point is foot problems are often actually spine problems. I guess “classic” sciatica starts at the spine and is a shooting pain all the way down the leg- which was not the deal in my case, which is why, never in a million years did I think it was sciatica. But sciatica does not have to follow a direct line! Just fyi :))

OK, so my feet don’t tingle THAT much any more but the left foot still doesn’t feel 100%- doesn’t feel like the right foot. I check the top of my big toe every morning- that is L5 and every day it is getting less and less numb.

Also, one day shortly after the neurologist appointment I did a huge piriformis stretch and stayed in it for 5 minutes I was just so desperate- and when I came out of the stretch, the bottom of my foot tingled like crazy and for the first time in at least 4 years, I could move my baby toes!!! (LOL…)

So, something sets off the piriformis muscle to spasm and when it does it strangles the sciatica nerve. Now, what sets of the piriformis could be pronation and leg internal rotation, so the piriformis becomes overworked externally rotating the leg agaisnt these forces. Then it spasms, cuts off the scaitica nerve (which controls the tibialis posterior and peroneal muscles among others- both anti pronation muscles) So the whole thing becomes a viscious cycle! Something else could set off the piriformis muscles into spasm.- it is not always pronation but I won’t go into that now.

So like I said, I am improving but my foot and lower leg is still not 100%. The physio showed me this by getting me to do eversion exercises very slowly with a low load- under those conditions, you target more the stabilizing muscles and sure enough I shook like crazy- I think it is called “intention hesitation” or whatever but that is a sign there is nerve damage.

I was very impressed after I did the piriformis stretch, that first my foot tingled like crazy and then I could move my baby toes. And it is similar to when say one sits on their foot. At first, you feel nothing, then it tingles, and then it is better again.

So I googled this and yes, the tingles (pins and needles) are a sign that signals are being sent down the nerve once again- just that the signals are very confused and in the process of getting sorted out. So really, the tingles are a good sign?

So then this weekend I decided to really start exercising my feet again now that the crisis is over. And one exercise is to stand on one leg with your eyes closed. Well I did that and my left foot tingled like crazy! And here I thought it was better. I went to bed that night with my foot still really stiff with tingles and it is ok now- so is it better? I have been repeating the exercise and no more tingles.

So anyway, these simple exercises are going to be a part of my program and hopefully a year from now I will compare and find my feet are much better.

I will post the videos in the next post-

Thanx :slight_smile:

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[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Welcome aboard…[/quote]

Thanx!

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oops- so the first video (the colored one) I uploaded here and it took so long I didn’t hink it worked. So then I uploaded to youtube instead (the black and whites). Now I can’t delete the video I uploaded here. Mixup, sorry!

ok- here are the “One legged foot balances” see post above)

The first is with my eyes open :

and the second is with my eyes closed.

If anyone would like to try these so we can compare notes I would greatly appreciate it. Maybe I am not as bad off as I think :slight_smile:

Thank you!

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Exercises for Monday Sept 21

Morning Mobilization & Activation

1)Golf torso equalization
2)Diamond groin stretch
3)Adductors against wall
4)calves
5)Glute medius
6)Side lunges
7)Piriformis
8)One legged balance
9)Thoracic spine quicky mobilization of a foam roller
10)Scapula squeezes

I am still working on this routine. I was SHOCKED to read an article here explaining how the spine disks are re-hyrated at night and therefore really thick first thing in the morning and that is why you will often hear people blowing a disk tieing up their shoes in the morning. This spring I was doing forward bends first thing out of bed in the morning!

Evening

Feet&Ankles:

1)One legged balances- eyes closed
2)Theraband ankle eversion,inversion & dorsiflexion
3)Calf raises
4)Doming

Other

5)Bridges
6)Wall slides
7)some unweighted squats
8)LOTS of thoracic spine small load (green tubing), small amplitude rotations (about 20 dgerees)to the left held for a long time (seeking endurance!)
9)adductor, hf,quad, Glute med, calf, hamstring, adductor magnus stretches.
10)scapula squeezes

I tried to foam roll my glute medius but my foam roller is all deforned and won’t roll anymore. I don’t think the blue ones are strong enough.

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http://www.athletestreatingathletes.com/self-muscle-massage-series/self-muscle-massage-pt-9-the-foot/

skip to the vid at the bottom if you like.
there is a whole series of them covering different body regions. they are still working on them / the series isn’t quite complete.

this chick is the bomb!!

a lacross ball works well for the glutes. gently does it to start!

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Welcome to the fourum!

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I can see you are having trouble with foot balance on ALL the videos, eyes open and closed.
All your weight is placed the outside of both feet, while the ball of your foot and big toe are just wiggling around uselessly.

Think of your foot as a triangle, one point is the heel, one point is the ball of the little toe and one point is the ball of the big toe.

Read this for clarification, and how to correct yourself:

http://www.yogajoy.org/writings_II.htm

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[quote]alexus wrote:
…a lacross ball works well for the glutes. gently does it to start![/quote]
Thank you alexus! I will be sure to do that. I tried quickly this morning witha differnt type of ball. I say it was/is my piriformis that spasms (I feel what I guess is the sciatic nerve tingle). It corresponds to the middle muslce in that video, so now I;m not sure- I study this more later. Thanx!