Massage Therapy & Scoliosis: Best Practices & Contraindications

Question
I'm a Massage Therapist and I have a client that has Scholiosis. Are there any contraindications to massage for this? Is there a particular way that I should approach massage with this client? Thanks

Answer
Greetings Jana. There are no real contraindications with scoliosis. Massage is acutally indicate d for it! The only thing to avoid are any stetches that twist the body, especially the back. There are enough problems there, and that could cause them to flare up. Focus on stretching the muscles that are shortened (usually the ones in the concave part of the curve). They are going to have alot of trigger points. Go very gentle on the stretched muscles - the ones on the outside of the curve - as they are probably pretty sensitive to pressure from constantly fighting the strain and the pull. Your client also should not be doing any exercises that emphasize the twisting. Exercises here should be assigned by a dr or a physical therapist, as it takes  fine touch to strengthen the right ones.

Some moist heat on a curved back can help a lot, too. I had a teacher come in during massage school with a 35 degree S curve, and she looked wonderful after a few of us massaged her back. It made a huge difference, and massage was one of her favorite treatments for it.

I hope this was of some help, Jana. Please feel free to write back with any other questions.

Sicnerely,
Christopher Hall