The Not-So-Scary Truth about Scoliosis....and how I learned it the hard way

Back issues bring with them a certain amount of fear or uneasiness. When it comes to scoliosis specifically, x-rays can look especially daunting. I know that fear all too well. I remember going to the doctors as a child and seeing the fear on my mom's face as we looked at my 45 degree thoracic curve on the xray. Scoliosis is just plain scary looking. Especially to a 9 year old. I also remember asking a lot of questions that no one could answer. All I wanted to know was WHY. Why did my spine develop like this? Was there something wrong with me?

My body still tenses up when I think about the moment my Doctor started to mention that if my curve got any worse, we would need to consider surgery. The second my mom explained to me what Harrington rods were, I burst into tears. If the goal was to get me to commit to wearing my back brace, then it worked. I was terrified.

Oh, and here's the kicker, after that appointment, they sent me home with an article about a Miss America contestant who had Harrington Rods. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling too confident about the process.

Throughout school, I did my best to wear my brace as often as I could. I wore it 22 hours a day for 5 years, only taking it off for gym class or my dance lessons. I made light of the situation by pretending that I had rock-hard abs, and having my classmates take turns punching me in the brace. Yes, looking back, it was probably all I could do not to break down in tears when all of my friends got to wear beautiful, form-fitting outfits on "dress-up day", or not being able to participate in field day at school because I had already used up my allotted two hours of going "braceless" for the day. Going through all of the hormonal ups and downs as a pre-teen and teenager were amplified by my self-conscious scoliotic self.

Over the past 6 years of teaching students of all ages with structural spinal issues, I've come to a very important conclusion: structural spinal issues are directly affected by fear and confusion in the mind and body. Now, that doesn't mean that part of the development of these problems aren't genetic. Some of us will be prone to developing scoliosis. For example, both my mom and brother have a mild "s" curve in their spines, but theirs didn't develop past a certain stage. I absolutely believe that there are ways that we can become aware of when we are moving in a way that will either help to increase our spinal issues, or create more balance in the body. When we don't understand what's going on within a structure as central as the spine, then the entire body will react by going into fight of flight mode, and the issue will get worse. In order to process that fear, and ultimately help people correct these issues naturally, the approach to talking about them needs to change.

The first time that I took a Yoga for Scoliosis class, I breathed a deep sigh of relief. Finally, someone could tell me what was happening to my back. I came to understand how my unconscious movements were affecting my pattern. I quickly felt the benefits of this work in my own body as it became more and more symmetrical.

Over the years, I've seen chronic pain dissipate after only a few weeks of classes. I've seen countless students avoid surgery for issues like spondylolithesis, herniated discs, and stenosis. I've had hundreds of students with full spinal fusions become pain-free and actually bring mobility to their spine in a way they've never experienced. Does it take daily practice and self-discipline? Absolutely. But you'll develop a new found sense of understanding what is going on at the deepest physical level in your body. You'll come to know when physical activity is helping to create space in your spine, or bringing compression and discomfort. Children as young as eight-years-old can become more aware of how they are sitting, standing, and walking. Cultivating an internal awareness of these issues is the key. No one else will change your postural patterns for you, but if you can become aware of HOW you are moving throughout the day, I promise you your bones can change.

One of my dear teachers, Elise Browning-Miller, who first forged the way for Yoga for Scoliosis, likes to equate the spine to a tree. Just because a tree is not perfectly vertical, is it any less beautiful? No two trees are exactly alike, just like no two spines are exactly alike. A tree with twists and turns in its trunk can be perfectly healthy and bear beautiful leaves, flowers, and fruit. I always loved this visual. It makes it a little easier to stomach the fact that even though my spine may look a little "snakey", I can still lead a pain-free and happy life, with the right resources.

However, even though I may have come to accept and embrace my own scoliotic journey, that doesn't mean that I'm not striving to find evenness and balance throughout my body on a daily basis. One of the elements that I'm super passionate about as a teacher is giving my students the tools to truly understand, on a visceral level, how their scoliosis is affecting their day to day lives.

The scariest part of my experience with back issues was not knowing what was causing them and thinking that there was nothing I could do about them. I was forced into playing the role of the victim within my own body. I felt completely hopeless and alone in my experience. Until I found this community.

Use the comments below to tell me all about the scariest

moments of your experience with back issues!

Blessings,

Rachel

#yoga #scoliosis #yogaforscoliosis #backcare