Pilates, The Answer to My Scoliosis Back Pain

by Margaret Ko
(Good Thunder, MN, USA)

I have chronic back pain for many years due to scoliosis, curvature of the spine. I had undergone physical therapy as a teenager and it improved the degree of the curvature. It has been YEARS now since I was a teenager.

The pain came back during my pregnancy and stayed on thereafter. I thought it might be the weight gained from the pregnancy and also with age and most of all, the sedentary lifestyle.

When Pilates caught on in my local gym a few years ago, I signed up, just with the objectives of losing some weight and toning my body. (I cannot do aerobics as I have 2 left feet). Wow, in the first lesson, I realize the basics of Pilates are the same as the physical therapy I did as a teenager for my scoliosis pain.

I am a "floor person" and Pilates just fit the way I like to exercise; it is slow moving and targets my problem areas - back, hip and thighs. Again, I found relief for my back pain as I progressed with the class.

I do not struggle with my scoliosis back pain like I did before and when I do, I know what I need to do to improve the situation - PILATES!!