Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, usually with some rotation. Many adults have a mild curve they have known about since a school screening and have never had any trouble from. Others have pain, stiffness, fatigue in the back muscles, or a curve that has become more noticeable over time.
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What physiotherapy can and cannot do
Being straightforward about this matters. In an adult with an established curve, physiotherapy is not going to straighten the spine, and anybody suggesting otherwise is overselling. What it can do is improve strength and endurance in the muscles supporting the spine, maintain and often improve movement, reduce pain, and help you keep doing the things you want to do. For a great many adults with scoliosis that is the whole of what they need.
What treatment involves
Assessment of the curve as it affects you rather than as it appears on a diagram, meaning where you are stiff, where you are weak, what movements hurt, and how your back copes with a full day. Then a programme of strength and mobility work built around that, and hands on treatment for pain and stiffness where it helps.
Exercise is safe with scoliosis and worth doing. The instinct to avoid loading a curved spine leads to weaker muscle around it, which usually makes symptoms worse.
Children and adolescents
A curve in a growing child is a different situation, because it can progress and there are treatments that influence that. If you are concerned about a child's back, start with your GP so they can be assessed and referred to a specialist spinal service if needed. We treat adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can physiotherapy straighten scoliosis?
Is exercise safe if I have scoliosis?
My child has been diagnosed with scoliosis. Can you help?
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