Credit: Getty
5 min read
Scoliosis is a rare musculoskeletal disorder that causes the spine to twist into an ‘s’ shape. The idiopathic disease affects approximately 2% of the global population – largely women – and treatments can often be extremely invasive and aggressive. With the right type of training, however, it is possible to enjoy movement and exercise again, writes Niamh O’Donoghue.
I have been living with scoliosis – a debilitating disorder that approximately affects three or four in every 1,000 people in the UK and causes the spine to twist and contort – for almost two decades now. In that time, I’ve learned a great deal about the intricacies of movement. Prior to my diagnosis, I was extremely active and danced competitively, rode horses, swam, played football and ran races. I was happiest whenever I was active.
My diagnosis put everything on hold due to the aggressive nature of the high-risk treatment, which involves very technical surgery to cement two titanium rods on either side of the spine to support it. A further three surgeries fused my spine to my pelvis, rendering my torso into one solid mass of bone which left me unable to bend forward, backward, left or right. It took many years to build up the courage to go to a gym.
That reticence to train probably stymied my recovery, especially when we know that movement accelerates healing, encourages blood-flow and muscle growth, diminishes keloid and hypertrophic scar growth and rebuilds resilience against the negative impact of stress and inflammation.
undefined
By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy
Thank you!
You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.