In my previous blog post, I introduced 3 non-surgical treatment options for scoliosis and adult spinal deformity: Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (OMPT), Structural Integration (SI), and Corrective Exercises such as Redcord. Today, I am taking a closer look at Structural Integration and how it can be a powerful tool in helping you manage soft tissue pain and tightness associated with scoliosis.

Have you been experiencing chronic back pain or neck pain and learned that it may be due to scoliosis or adult spinal deformity? Would you like to be able to perform your daily activities, recreation and exercise to improve your health but they often result in increased pain? Scoliosis of the spine is an abnormal curvature that typically develops during adolescence. Left untreated, it can significantly impact your quality of life.

So you just got hurt or you’ve been dealing with pain for weeks, months or years. Rest hasn't worked and over-the-counter pain medications only help for a short period of time. Your quality of life is suffering and your ability to perform daily activities is becoming harder. So what’s the next step?... Physical therapy!

In my last two blog posts, I explained how specialized physical therapy techniques like Redcord suspension exercise and GYROTONIC® have helped me and others with dysautonomia. Today I am highlighting another breakthrough movement system available at Activcore. This one is called Hypopressives. Hypopressive means low pressure. This technique introduces exercises that reduce the pressure in your core (i.e., the intra-abdominal pressure).

As a Board Certified Orthopedic Physical Therapist, I see a lot of patients with foot pain. It is sometimes not what they are even coming to see me for, but they mention it during the evaluation. In my experience, foot pain often plays a role in their knee, hip, or back pain. Our foot health is just as crucial to our structural health as our core strength, but it doesn’t get nearly the same level of attention.

You probably feel more muscular, tendon and/or joint pain in your 40s and 50s than you did in your 20s and 30s. But it may not be for the reasons you think.‍ As women enter the ages of perimenopause (8-10 years prior to their final menstrual cycle) they may notice a myriad of subtle or not so subtle symptoms. One of which being an increase of musculoskeletal pain. In fact, the majority of menopausal women report muscle and joint aches as major symptoms of the transition.

Flexibility is often celebrated in the dance world. But for individuals with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), it can pose some unique challenges. My career as a Pilates Instructor and former ballet dancer has been marked by extraordinary flexibility coupled with a history of injuries. In my quest for a solution, I discovered the Redcord suspension system.

Dyspareunia is the medical term for painful sexual intercourse. The Mayo Clinic defines this as “lasting or recurrent genital pain that occurs just before, during, or after sex”. Dyspareunia is more common in women than men, and can happen at any age. Symptoms of dyspareunia include pain with initial penetration and/or deep penetration which may include burning, aching, and throbbing sensations.

As a McKenzie certified physical therapist, I work with a lot of patients experiencing neck and back pain, often exacerbated by postures held for long periods at the computer. One of the first things we address is postural correction. Sit in a relaxed posture, then pull your head up and back and chest up so you’re in an overcorrected posture, then back off about 10%.

Posture has always been a hot topic of conversation in the physical therapy world. When I mention that I’m a PT, people often ask about their posture and what exercises will make it better. To be honest, this is a loaded question. There’s no one simple answer. If you asked 10 physical therapists, you’d probably get 10 different answers.