Spinal Deformities

A healthy spine provides the main support for the body, allowing a person to stand and sit upright, walk, bend, and twist.

Muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bone all contribute to a strong spine and protect the spinal cord. A side view of the normal spine shows it has some curves to it to help it withstand impact and force and to maintain balance.

The spinal deformity occurs when the curves of the spine differ from the normal, gentle S-shape seen from the side of the straight line down the back of a normal spine.

Spinal deformities may lead to symptoms that include pain, weakness, numbness, tingling, loss of function, and pulmonary and cardiac problems. A few types of spinal deformities that can be successfully treated with spinal surgery are scoliosis, kyphosis, and spondylolisthesis.

Exercise is beneficial for strengthening our core muscles and the spine. While spinal deformity should not be a deterrent for most people to begin a solid exercise plan, knowing what to do and how to do it are important for limiting injury and deriving the most benefit.

Whether you’re battling spondylosis, kyphosis, scoliosis, or another type of spinal condition, here are tips useful for incorporating the right type and duration of exercise into your daily life.

• Avoiding exercise or movement may not help alleviate the pain that results from spinal conditions. Continuous movement, including walking, can do a world of good for people with spinal conditions and back pain. Rest when you must during periods of severe, acute pain, but otherwise, move as often as you can.
• While exercise is essential for back pain relief and those who suffer from spinal deformities, knowing when to stop is critical. For most with severe deformity, trying to exercise your way back to a straight spine is impossible.

  Overdoing any one type of exercise for too many repetitions or too long a duration of time may result in further damage and pain. Keep exercise to an appropriate level where you feel better afterward, not worse.

• The heavy, clunky machines at the gym are not the only options for exercise. And for those with spinal deformities, they’re also not the most recommended. Quality, focused stretching is great exercise and you don’t need equipment to do it.

  If you haven’t already, try yoga and other stretching moves, some of which are designed specifically for building and stabilizing the core, an important area of focus for anyone with spinal problems.

More Tips

• If you’ve been diagnosed with a spinal deformity and new to an exercise routine, stick with lower impact activities. Running and high-impact exercises can be fine for many with spinal conditions, but they can also put undue amounts of stress on a spine that already has some challenges.

  Most people can still derive major exercise and health benefits from lower impact activities like swimming, than the higher-impact exercises that can potentially put our spines at further risk. So rather than using heavy weights, lighter weights with more repetitions may be safer and achieve a better result. When it comes to exercise, sometimes less really is more.

• No matter the method of exercise performed, a proper cool-down, even if it’s just for five minutes, is a must. Cooling down can include stretching muscles fatigued during exercise or breathing deeply for a few minutes while you allow your heart rate to return to normal.
• The bony structures of our spines aren’t the only things that hold them in place and keep them stable. The muscles surrounding them have an important job in how well our spines function, too. Those muscles, especially after they’ve had a healthy dose of exercise, need care, too. And the best you can give them is hydration.

  It’s best to drink plenty of water throughout an exercise routine. But, if you’ve found that you finished your workout and haven’t had anything to drink, take the time to focus on drinking at least eight ounces of water immediately, then plenty more throughout the day.

Spine Deformities Experts in Kenya

Always talk to your spine doctor before beginning any exercise program to make sure you’re both on the same page. Then, get to work. In no time at all, you’ll likely begin to realize the benefit to your spine and to your overall health.

Nairobi Spine and Orthopaedic Centre’s team is comprehensive expertise of patient-centred care. Our back specialists diagnose spine problems and design custom treatment plans built on a conservative, non-surgical approach.

Most patients find relief through treatments including guided injections, specialized physical therapy, exercise, activity modification, and medication.

When conservative care does not relieve symptoms, our highly skilled surgeons offer proven, evidence-based surgical options. Together with you, our physical therapists will determine the right course of action and exercise program to follow after your treatment.

Start your journey to a healthy spine. Find your spine expert, request an appointment online, or call us to schedule a spine consultation below.