physiolutions

11/03/2024

Happy Diwali!

Our patients, our teachers, our experience are the light that uncovers all mysteries in life.

If you’re a physio, a patient, or yoga or Pilates teacher curious to learn more, stop spinning your wheels and DM or email us today.

07/07/2023

Staying hydrated during travel is one of the most important things we can do to arrive happier, healthier, and taller!

👉🏻 Here’s why:

✈️ controlled air in planes is much lower in humidity than our typical outside environment (10-20% humidity vs 35-65%, and even higher if you live in Florida like me where it’s the air that you wear!)

• lower humidity dries out our tissues and nasal passages, potentially creating micro cracks where viruses can find an entry point.

• Staying hydrated helps keep not only our skin to be more plump and resilient, it helps the DISCS IN OUR SPINE be more plump and resilient, too!

• Did you know one of the best reservoirs from where the body “borrows” water when it’s dehydrated is the spine?! All those discs between our vertebrae are like little sponges!

💦 Dehydration can cause muscle cramps, gut cramps, abdominal pain, muscle tightness, fatigue, dizziness, crankiness, reduced focus, and certainly increases our risk for kidney stones, UTIs and more.

📱Travel delays and long flights usually equate to more screen time, which adds to dry eyes! So be sure to drink up when screen’s up!

👉🏻 Take the edge off by adding an electrolyte supplement and *starting to boost hydration 24 hrs before travel*

👩🏽‍🔬Generally speaking, the Aerospace Medical Association (who knew there was such a thing?!) recommends drinking ~.25 litres per hour of flying.

🤯 By the time we realize we’re thirsty, we’re already dehydrated!

Tag or share with someone who’s on the road or in the air!

Remember:
Wheels up, drink up! 💙✈️

07/07/2023

Manage back pain on the fly ✈️ with this idea!

Traveling light is paramount - no one wants to schlep pillows and pads in their carry-ons, so those who depend on such props usually leave them at home - but not their fears of back pain (I hear it all the time from patients!)

What’s a spine to do?

• That sweatshirt or light jacket you brought can be a great substitute! 💡

• Simply pack it into your carry-on instead of checked luggage so you can have it at the ready.

• placing it behind your back can be GOLD for people who tend to have swayback (of my patients who have back pain, it’s NOT the scoliosis contributing to their pain, but their trunk’s tendency to lean back behind their hips that I find is the most consistent presentation and contributor to low back pain! 🤯)

• placing the folded sweatshirt behind our back can help keep the trunk from “swaying back” as much when leaning back into the chair. 💙

• alternately, using it under the hips can be super relief for those with sciatica! 😌

So, fear not and (pack a sweatshirt in your) carry on! Let me know if this idea helps.
More to come on SWAYBACK!

💙💙 Tag or share with someone who might find this info helpful!

✈️🚞🚙 Wishing you safe, seamless, and easy holiday travels!

This post, and flight, we’re
But big thanks to Dan for his patience and arm strength holding the camera!

12/17/2022

The “Asymmetrical Sweater” by Naadam
inspired this post.

Can you tell how asymmetrical it is? Most people don’t even notice the asymmetry until I point out the details, even though one sleeve is 5” longer than the other, the neck is completely shifted to one side, and the knit is uneven from right to left.

But it’s beautiful and magnificent.

Because the sweater is structurally stable, most people don’t even notice the asymmetry.

The same message is true for those with scoliosis or hyperkyphosis; you are perfect, whole, and complete just as you are; we just want to ensure optimally stability in and around the spine. 💪🏼💕

Often, people with spinal pathologies develop MORE core strength and have less back issues throughout life when they learn and do PSSE/Schroth from a younger age - this way, they develop and learn optimal spinal mechanics and the right core strength exercises that are essential for ALL of us, and they avoid a lifetime of doing the wrong exercises (or the right exercises the wrong way) that get so many spines into trouble later on.

Our “issues” are only “issues” if we see them that way - if we can change our perspective we can change our story.

Consider these things as your superpower - look at how much knowledge, empathy, insight you now have and the resilience developed to overcome anything that life throws at us.

We all have something. I promise. Fortunately, scoliosis and spinal pathologies now have so many wonderful, evidenced based conservative options that put YOU in control ❤️💫

So, lean in to your asymmetry - just keep it as midline as possible! If you don’t know how, we’ll teach you!

11/23/2022

🌈 Marshmallows, cookies and a little bit of physics! I love the term resilience.

It’s such a key element in our mental well-being and ability to enjoy life, but resilience isn’t just limited to psychology - it’s also a key element in our physical body and our tissues’ ability to rebound from physical stress, too.

One of the most wonderful aspects of being in the field of physiotherapy and scoliosis and spine health are the truly wonderful people in this specialty.

Brilliant research from Dr Rene Castelein and others around the world have recently found what Dr Adams hypothesized two centuries ago - that the flexible, postural component of scoliosis and hyperkyphosis directly and significantly impacts the bony, fixed structural component.

Both Dr Castelein, researches in China, and others found that it’s not necessarily the vertebrae to become wedged first when our posture goes south - it’s actually the discs that get wedged first before progressive structural changes begin.

While every spine varies in its presentation, the take home message is clear - your mom was right! Sitting and standing tall are so much more important than we truly appreciated.

But sometimes, when we have scoliosis, hyperkyphosis or osteoporosis, we already ARE standing tall - or at least trying our best. This is where schroth and PSSE come in to save our sanity.

💡By understanding the physics of postural asymmetries, we help people understand their unique curve pattern or spinal imbalance so they have the length and strength
to stand their tallest - to actively decompress the spine and promote resiliency in the tissues and the mind.

❤️ Please share this post with someone who may find it useful!

👉🏻 More great stuff coming soon as we launch the Physiolutions website next week 🎉. Check back here, and follow us on IG and YouTube for more spine smart and healthy tips!

10/21/2022

Why the Spine with Scoliosis is Unique, & Your Evaluation and Treatment Should Be, Too!

📣 Join me LIVE Wednesday, October 26, from 6-8 pm PST/9-11 pm EST for this educational webinar hosted by the California Physical Therapy Association. They do the BEST job hosting incredible weekly webinars with the likes of Mary Massery, Stuart McGill, Shirley Sahrmann and so many more legends in PT. I’m humbled and thrilled to be working with such a fantastic organization.

🧠 California PTs earn 2 CEUs!

🦉Come stay up late with me and learn:

* the clinical and radiological differences between AIS, deNovo scoliosis, neuromuscular scoliosis, kyphoscoliosis and hyperkyphosis.
* The 3D nature of scoliosis
* How Schroth & PSSE differ from traditional physical therapy
* How to effectively screen for scoliosis
* Goals of PSSE
* General precautions & contraindications when working with patients with scoliosis.

💕Tag or share with a friend!
📝 Register with link in bio!

10/20/2022

It’s been a minute! Super excited to share three fantastic educational opportunities coming up.. starting next Wednesday!

👉🏻 Wed, October 26 @ 9-11 pm EST, 6-8 pm PST, join me for a livestream webinar with the California Physical Therapy Association. “Why the Spine with Scoliosis is Unique, and Our Evaluation & Treatment Approach Should Be, Too!”

👉🏻 Fri/Sat November 12-13, I’m hosting Eric Dinkins, PT, DPT, MSPT, OCS, MCTA of (Mulligan Technique!) He’ll be teaching Manual Therapy for the Upper Quadrant. (Mulligan was my first course after PT school 25 years ago, and I loved it! So happy to host them in FL.)

👉🏻 December 5-10, SSOL- Schroth P1 Certification Course.
Can’t say enough how much I love teaching this course. If you love learning and helping patients with scoliosis make the real change they seek, and yearn to create your own niche, this course is for you! 2 spots left.

Double tap on the course you find the most interesting!

Questions? Ask me in the comments below!

09/23/2022

Awareness is the first step to change. 💫

Amazing how just a few quick refinements change up this whole exercise! 🤩.

This incredibly active lady has a double major scoliosis. While her curve is fairly rigid, she doesn’t let that stop her from daily exercise - she’s a beast in the gym! 💪🏼

One of the best things we do in PSSE is not just corrective exercise, but education on how to take our every activities from uncertain 🤷‍♀️ to extraordinary 🤩!

Her “old leg lift technique” only created more collapse in her concavities, further exacerbating her convexities ⚠️.

Notice the difference in her:
👉🏻Concavities (R waist especially)
👉🏻Shoulders
👉🏻Muscle activation (R waist, L shoulder blade!! 🤯
👉🏻Elongation/length of spine
👉🏻Neck

Tap on the part that you love the most! ❤️

What are YOUR questions about exercise + everyday activities?🤔

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻Ask me in the comments below and I’ll do an IG live soon to answer! 💕🙌🏻

09/14/2022

🙌🏻 Saturday, September 17
⏱9 am - Noon EST
🧠 LIVE Webinar: Spine Smart Yoga & Pilates Adaptations for Scoliosis

🙋🏻‍♀️ Scoliosis, hyperkyphosis, or spinal fusion and looking to better understand what’s actually going on in your spine?

🙌🏻 This LIVE 3 hour webinar is for you!

👉🏻 Who’s it for? Anyone who has a postural imbalance or spinal fusion, Physical Therapists, or yoga & Pilates teachers who work with clients with scoliosis/spinal conditions.

🧠 Learn why a scoliosis is a scoliosis, which asanas and movements are generally safer to do in our movement practices, which are less safe, how to modify, and most importantly, WHY!

📅 When? Saturday, September 17, from 9 am - Noon EST!

🧘🏻‍♀️ We’ll do a 1.5 hr slide presentation with GREAT visuals so that complex concepts become CLEAR, + 45 min mat based practice, + LIVE Q&A!

💪🏼 Look forward to having you with us!

💕 Tag or share with a friend!

👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻Register with link in bio!

08/29/2022

👉🏻What on earth is “Rotational Angular Breathing?”

🫁 Rotational Angular Breathing, “RAB”, developed by Katharina Schroth over 100 years ago, is one of the key facilitation strategies in creating change from the inside out when working with scoliosis.

When RAB is applied in conjunction with other key strategies, everything comes together in the most magnificent way.

Just like a great recipe, all of
the components need to come together, in the right order, for everything to click!

This is why I LOVE teaching and working with scoliosis and spinal conditions❤️

When you can see the physics and energetics of how something works from the inside out, you know how to optimize your approach to create REAL change.

Just finished teaching SSOL Schroth P1 certification course - physical therapists can join me for the next certification course December 5-12 in Florida 🌴☀️💪🏼

🧠 Curious to learn more?
Check link in bio for more courses!

💕 Tag or share with a friend for more tips on scoliosis and spine health!

08/29/2022