Further resources

Correcting spinal misalignments (Kyphotic posture)

Most people have spinal misalignments; the adolescent population included it. Since adolescence is a developmental period, it is essential for individuals to grow up healthy both physically and mentally.

Preconditions

First of all it is important to make a quality assessment of adolescent spine

– observational examination of body (in first look)

– Postural assessment (posterior, anterior, lateral)

– Muscle shortness of pectoral muscles, iliopsoas, hamstring, SCM, scalene

– range of motion in the joints of the spine, glenohumeral joint, pelvis and hip joint

– the strength of gluteus maximus, abdominals, hamstring

Step I. Providing Chin Tug -isometric neck muscle exercises

Neck core strength is often overlooked. For prevention of neck pain, injury prevention and improving posture these muscles play a vital role. As with any other part of the body, part of rehabilitation is to re-strengthen the injured area, in this case with craniocervical flexion exercise (CFE). After establishing the chin tug position, isometric neck contractions contribute to its stabilization.

Step II. Pelvic Tilt

Pelvic tilting exercises in the sagittal plane are generally used to correct the alignment of the lumbar spine.

The patient lies on her/his back with her/his feet flat on the ground and 60 degrees flexion in the knees.

Now the patient has to press her/his lower back against the ground while exhaling by tilting the waist/pelvis backwards. On inhalation, the patient then relaxes the lower back from the ground by tilting the waist forward. Try only to move the lumbar spine.

Once you can hold the basic pelvic tilt, you will progress the move and add in movement. Adding in movement will force your core to work harder to stabilize. (e.g. The First Progression is the Pelvic Tilt With March, Progress to the Pelvic Tilt with Double Knee Tuck)

Step III. Exercise in table position

After proper spinal alignment is achieved in the table position, progress is made by adding arm and leg movements step by step.

Step IV. Exercises with swiss ball

Exercises performed on the Swiss ball at the final stage to ensure postural control, spinal stability and alignment will bring a different dynamic to the treatment for adolescents.