SCOLIOSIS & Structural Integration

By Susan Solari

Susan Solari is a myofascial release specialist and a Structural Integrationist (Dr. Ida Rolf method). She works with musculoskeletal pain, scoliosis, soft tissue and repetitive motion injuries. She has extensive experience with athletes (Ironman), bicyclists, dancers, and acrobats.

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine. The curves are usually "C" or "S" shaped, creating an ab-normal twist in the spine. Scoliosis affects 1 in 1,000 children with about 500,000 children in the U.S. suffering from it. Signs of scoliosis include uneven shoulders, a prominent shoulder blade, an uneven waist, elevated hips or a tendency to lean to one side. Most experience back pain.

Eighty percent of scoliosis develops in adolescents, ages 10-18 and is usually seen more in females than males. A routine doctor's physical exam for school includes a check for scoliosis. However, twenty percent of scoliosis occurs in adulthood often due to not having been diagnosed earlier.

It is best to begin treatment of scoliosis at a young age as there is the opportunity to change the patterns of misalignment as they are beginning to form. Traditional western treatments include wearing a brace and surgery. In contrast, Structural Integration is a non-invasive treatment for scoliosis not only for youthful onset idiopathic scoliosis but for adults as well.

"I suffered from severe scoliosis and have had many different modalities of bodywork throughout the years. I first started working with Susan two years ago with ten structural integration sessions and have since gone back for touch ups. Susan's work has significantly reduced my back pain and has improved my overall body mechanics."
                             —Allison Mulcahy, MD, Oakland

FEEDBACK: CLICK HERE to email comments and feedback. Please note the title of the article or the author's name. Include your own name or type "name withheld" by request. Thoughtful responses will be published in our next edition.