Issue #320 – December 9, 2020
Hands-on Scoliosis Assessment
by Erin Myers
Did you know there are millions of people living with scoliosis around the world? You may think it’s unlikely, but odds are one will walk into your studio someday. Are you prepared to work with them? I ask teachers that question often, and the answer is usually no.
I’ve spent my career helping scoliosis clients untwist their spines and decrease their pain, and have combined my years of hands-on experience with the latest scientific research into a straightforward way of assessing someone’s scoliosis. By learning how to quickly assess it, you’ll never be caught off-guard and will be able to provide hope and relief to anyone with scoliosis who walks through your studio door.
Physical assessment
The first step is a physical assessment. I recommend having a piece of paper and pen nearby, so you can quickly jot down what you see. Next rid yourself of any assumptions you have about the spine in front of you. Don’t try to label the what’s in front of you, because it likely won’t fit a pre-set mold. Start with a blank slate and allow the body in front of you to tell you about itself.
The physical assessment begins with the spine. To start, make a peace sign with your dominant hand and place your fingers at the base of the neck. Your client will start standing up and roll down with their hands reaching towards the floor. As they roll down, slowly move your fingers down their spine to their sacrum, applying pressure with your fingers. Allow your fingers to follow the lateral spinal curve. Do not try to make a straight line down the back or you’ll miss the scoliosis. Note what you feel and jot it down.
Next, place flat hands, palms down, on their shoulders.
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Erin Myers is an international presenter on scoliosis and founder of Spiral Spine, a company designed to enrich the lives of people with scoliosis. She owns the Spiral Spine Pilates studio in Brentwood, TN, which allows her to actively pursue her passion of helping those with scoliosis through the practice of Pilates.
Spiral Spine offers a growing set of scoliosis resources including Erin’s books: Analyzing Scoliosis, The Beautiful Scoliotic Back, and My Scoli Journal, and online workouts: the Scoliosis Series and Hard Core Scoli. She has multiple continuing education workshops for scoliosis online including Analyzing Scoliosis, Scoliosis Spinal Fusion, Kids with Scoliosis, and more. Her scoliometer app, Scoliometer by Spiral Spine, allows practitioners and users to measure vertebral and rib cage rotation, helping to better manage one’s scoli.
Erin began her career as a professional dancer with the Radio City Rockettes and was trained in Pilates at the Kane School of Core Integration. She is a Balanced Body Master Instructor and is Level 2 Certified in the GYROTONIC® Method. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in managerial entrepreneurship from Pace University in NYC (cum laude), along with certifications by the American Council on Exercise and the Pilates Method Alliance.
