The Mind Behind the Movement
About Mindful Movement
Never in a million years would I think having scoliosis could be a superpower.
Over the last few years, I’ve worked with countless clients who tell me, “It’s such a relief that you actually get it!” Because I do.
I get the pain you feel sitting in a hard chair that presses against your prominence.
The frustration you feel when someone tells you to “just stretch or do yoga” for your hurting back.
The self-consciousness about wearing a swimsuit or a tight shirt that shows off your prominence.
I’ve been there and experienced every one of these examples
In one of the small group scoliosis coaching sessions a client said,
“Apart from the exercises (and I do believe they're helping me), what has really helped me is, there is something reassuring about the fact that you actually understand what I’m saying and what I’m going through. The fact that you get it, helps me mentally and emotionally get through the harder times. People look at me like oh so you’ve got a sore back, ok.. just do some stretching, do some yoga. But it’s not just a sore back. I look forward to these every week just knowing that you guys understand, it’s really helpful.”
Traditional physical therapy treats patients with scoliosis the same way they would treat a person with a symmetrical spine. Unfortunately, they are unwittingly causing these patients harm. If the uneven loading of the scoliosis spine isn’t addressed, traditional physical therapy treatment merely blankets the problem and temporarily relieves the symptoms.
My signature program, The Scoliosis Strength Collective, uses scoliosis specific Pilates and Schroth Method principals to fill the gap in care for the scoliosis population. The Collective is for you if you:
Don’t have access to a local scoliosis specialist
Want to do something good for your scoliosis, but don’t know where to begin
Have good body awareness and are an audio and visual learner
Are ready to put in the work daily to address your imbalances
Want to be the expert of your posture so you can confidently go to the gym and group exercise classes and know how to modify for your curve type
I wouldn’t wish scoliosis on anyone, but I believe it has been my super power helping me connect to my clients. The exercises you learn while you’re in the collective have changed my life and I know they will change yours too!
Are you ready to understand your diagnosis, get stronger, stay mobile, decrease pain, and improve your appearance? Let’s do this!
My scoliosis story
When I was 11 years old I was found to have scoliosis during a screening in gym class. My mom and I went to my doctor, he did an x-ray and confirmed yes, indeed I did have scoliosis, but my curve wasn’t big enough to do anything about it. He told us that we will just watch it over the next few years and see if it got worse. I danced ballet at the time and when I was 11, I started to have pain in my back whenever I would do anything that bent my spine backwards. My doctor recommended me to a chiropractor, he performed manipulations on my back, put me on heat and called it a day. The pain eventually went away, but I started to feel paranoid about injuring my back again.
In ballet class I would wear open back leotards and I could see the one side of my back pushing out farther than the other. Classmates would sometimes ask me what was on my back. It added to the awkwardness of puberty. I started to wear baggy sweatshirts in school to hide my back and avoid being made fun of by my peers. I literally started to ignore my scoliosis and pretended it didn’t exist.
I feel medical providers dismissed and failed to meaningfully address my scoliosis. This led me to make healing the focus of my life. Little did I know after graduating from physical therapy school and years into practicing physical therapy would I find hope in helping my scoliosis. I was asked by an instructor at a local Pilates studio if I would be her subject for a case study, she was doing to become a scoliosis specific Pilates practitioner. I had no idea that even existed. I was thrilled.
In physical therapy school, we had a one-hour long lecture on how to treat scoliosis, and I’ve now learned that this information wasn’t correct. Not only did I not understand how to help myself, but I didn’t know how to treat my patients with scoliosis.
Through the process of being her case study, I began to feel seen. Someone finally understood my spine. She taught me how to stand in a corrected posture, alleviate my pain, and continue living my active life of running, Pilates, and lifting weights. Inspired by this process, I became a scoliosis specialist too so that I can spread the word and help people with scoliosis live their most optimal lives.
Since then, through telehealth and in person, I have helped people from all over the world with their scoliosis. These people have tried everything. Chiropractor, massage, injections, even physical therapy and nothing helped. Hearing their stories and seeing them make the changes and take control over their scoliosis brings me to tears (happy ones).
Join me from any location to learn non-invasive exercises to help you stand taller, and keep your spine healthy and happy so you can live the active life you want!