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Correcting Teenagers' Kyphosis through Pilates
EMMA PENG
JAN 15TH, 2018
2017-2018 BODY IN MOTION, CA
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Abstract
Kyphosis involves an increased thoracic curve of the spine, it reduce the load
capacity of the spine. Nowadays, the teenagers’ kyphosis phenomenon is
becoming more and more common in China and presents a trend of low age.
Kyphosis not only affects the personal image temperament, but also affects the
normal growth and development of the spine and even affects the health of the
body.
The main reason for the Kyphosis of Chinese young people is to keep the
incorrect posture for a long time, lack of exercise, and have too much mental
pressure. That cause their weak thoracic extensors and tight anterior shoulder
muscles. Based on my research, I was able to develop a safe Pilates program for
teenagers to correct the kyphosis using the BASI Block System which has
dramatically improved their posture and self-confident.
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Table of Contents
Anatomical Description…………………………………………………………………….4
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..6
Case Study..................................................................................................................9
Conditioning Program .................................................................................................8
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….15
Bibliography ..............................................................................................................16
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Anatomical Description
Kyphosis is an abnormally excessive convex kyphotic curvature of the spine as
it occurs in the cervical, thoracic and sacral regions.Kyphosis can be called round-
back or Kelso's hunchback. It can result from degenerative diseases such as
arthritis; developmental problems, most commonly Scheuermann's disease;
osteoporosis with compression fractures of the vertebra; multiple myeloma or
trauma. A normal thoracic spine extends from the 1st to the 12th vertebra and should
have a slight kyphotic angle, ranging from 20° to 45°. When the "roundness" of the
upper spine increases past 45° it is called kyphosis or "hyperkyphosis".
Scheuermann's kyphosis is the most classic form of hyperkyphosis and is the result
of wedged vertebrae that develop during adolescence. The cause is not currently
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known and the condition appears to be multifactorial and is seen more frequently in
males than females.
In the sense of a deformity, it is the pathological curving of the spine, where parts of
the spinal column lose some or all of their lordotic profile. This causes a bowing of
the back, seen as a slouching posture.
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Introduction
My program is focuses on the kyphosis which caused by poor posture, it called
“postural kyphosis”. It is the most common type in the Chinese teenagers, they are
often has a lot of homework to do, and keep wrong sitting position for all day. And
they do not have time to do the work out. For young people This can have a
significantly detrimental effect on their lives, as their level of activity is curbed by
their condition; they may feel isolated or uneasy amongst peers if they are children,
depending on the level of deformity.
They are lack of muscles strength especial the back extensors and it can be
reversibly by correcting muscular imbalances.
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Case Study
One day a girl came to my studio with her mother, she is at age 17. Her mother
told me that her daughter looks so tired everyday, and she don’t like to talk to people.
Her mother asked me if I could help her to correct the wrong posture. I found that
the girl had a very serious kyphosis, and she is really quite. I knew some
informations about her from her mother: she is in high school and her major is
painting. She always draws over 10 hours per day, and her mother want her to be a
student of a really famous art school in China, so she gave her daughter a lot of
pressure.
At the very first introduce session, I found that she is lack of strength for the
whole body especially the back extensors and she almost loss 50% of the joint
flexibility. I suggested she commit to doing Pilates 3 times a week, and do some
simple stretch at home every day to increase her joint flexibility.
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Conditioning Program
As we talked, the girl came to take the private session with me 3 times a week,
and doing stretch at home every day. For the private sessions we focus on improve
her muscles strength and every time at the back extension work we do double
times until her abdominal muscles and her back muscles are balanced. I change the
equipments for different sessions in order to let her feel things are interesting. But
the goal in each Block is almost same, so here are two examples for the program
which are in different period for progressive layering.
1-10 sessions
BLOCKS EXERCISES COMMENTS
WARM UPMAT: pelvic curl- spine twist supine-chest lift-chest lift with rotation
When doing the pelvic curl I try to avoid the lumbar pressure. And it is difficult for her to doing the chest lift and the chest lift with rotation without any help, so I always get a magic circle or my hand to help her lifting with deep lumbar flexion.
FOOT WORK REFORMER
I focus on keep her spine and shoulder in neutral position, it is already hard enough for her when she set up well. I like to lift her head rest a little to let her feel comfortable of her neck and it is the better way to let her have the sense of lengthening her neck. Also I need to focus on the knees and the ankles alignment.
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ABDOMINAL WORK CADILLAC: warm up series
Since she is lack of muscles strength, it is better for her to doing the abs work with a bar, which can help her get the deep lumbar flexing and a pure rotation without lateral flexion
HIP WORK REFORMER: leg supine series
I focus on the set up of the supine posture every time. Letting her lying at a neutral position is quit difficult, sometimes I let her pumps facing up since her tight anterior shoulder muscles. And I try to keep pelvic still when leg circling, that makes her realize her hip’s range of motion is limited
STRETCHES CADILLAC: shoulder stretch prone
I always like to to the shoulder stretch for her during the stretches block, because she did a lot of leg stretch everyday
ARM WORK REFORMER: arms supine series
I still focus on neutral position when doing the arm work specially the scapular. I only use one blue springs in order to let her doing the work more precious. She feels her back sour every time she finish the arm work
LEG WORK LEG WEIGHTS: gluteals side lying series
It is more easy for her to to do the leg work when she can get a lot of support, that makes her feels more of the muscle focus
1-10 sessions
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After several sessions when she get stronger and more flexible, I change my
program as below:
LATERAL FLEXION/ROTATION MAT: side lift
I let her legs come forward a lit bit as a banana shape, incase her lumbar feels uncomfortable and that can let her feel more on the oblique muscles, at the very beginning I let her hands touch the mat to get more support
BACK EXTENSION AVALON: swan prep
Since her thoracic’s extension motion is limited, so I use Avalon to active her back extensors from the flexion position to the neutral position. Always remind her to engage abdominals when doing the back work.
1-10 sessions
11-20 sessions
BLOCKS EXERCISES COMMENTS
WARM UPMAT: pelvic curl- spine twist supine-chest lift-chest lift with rotation
When she supine on the mat I can see it become easier for her to keep spine and shoulder in neutral position. Andshe can do the deep lumbar flexion now so I let her focus on keeping pelvic still as neutral position when doing the chest lift. Some times I put a ball between her knees to engage more inner side muscles.
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FOOT WORK CADILLAC
Her flexibility improved so that she can use Cadillac to do the foot work with neutral position, I try to use Cadillac to let her feel more stretch, and also she can check her knees and ankles alignment when at a supine position
ABDOMINAL WORKAVALON: chest lift-reach-overhead stretch-reach Avalon-hundred prep Avalon
Use Avalon to do the abdominal work can let her have the thoracic extension, I use to let her lying on the Avalon for a while to stretch her thoracic and shoulders
HIP WORK CADILLAC: supine leg series
Since she already familiar with the move pastern on reformer, I use Cadillac to balance her legs muscles.
SPINAL ARTICULATION MAT: rolling a like a ball-spine stretch
I always like to let her doing the spine stretch with a wall, that can makes her feels the way that how to articulate her spine
STRETCHESLADDER BARREL: shoulder stretch 1-shoulder stretch 2
I repeat 5 times to enhance her shoulder’s range of motion, and rehabilitate her shoulders imbalance cause form painting
FULL BODY INTEGRATION F/I
REFORMER: scooter-round back-flat back reverse knee stretch
I focus on C curve, she need to deepen her lumbar flexion and reduce the flexion of her thoracic.
ARM WORKREFORMER: shoulder push-shoulder push single arm
When she did this arm work, it also can active her back extensors, and also let her know the feeling of scapular stabilization. The single arm exercise can balance her arms muscles.
11-20 sessions
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Except the regular training I suggested her not keeping sitting position for more
than 1 hour, and drink more waters. After 2 months training, she is four centimeters
taller than before, and has a better thoracic curve. The most important thing is she
become optimistic, we talk more than before during each sessions.
LEG WORK REFORMER: single leg skating
She can do the leg work without that much support, and can keep her trunk and pelvic stable. Also she need to focus on keeping neutral spine when standing on the reformer
LATERAL FLEXION/ROTATION
AVALON: spine twist supine-side lift-side over with extended arms Avalon
I like to use Avalon to do this group, I always do some shoulder stretch after finish the work on Avalon
BACK EXTENSION Mat: back extension
Since she increase her range of back motion, so I let her to do the back exercise from neutral position to extension position
11-20 sessions
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Conclusion
The girl’s kyphosis was not a severe case but it was limiting her activity and how
she viewed herself. Since she commit to come 3 times a week, she found that she
don’t need to drawing 10 hours per day, Pilates gave her a lot of fun and let her
escape the pressure from the school and her parents. When she is on the way to
studio she can get a lot of fresh air and that makes her more creative when drawing
things. Now she already doing pilates for more than 3 months, she feels that she is
full of energy everyday and her friends and her family said she becomes more
pretty. Her abdominal strength and back strength has improved a lot but we still
need to work with that, and the next step for us is to correct the alignment of her
ankles and knees and some other imbalance.
It is so important for younger people to have a good posture, not only for their
physical health but also for their mental health.
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Bibliography
Wikipedia
Isacowitz, Rael. Reformer: Movement Analysis Workbook. Costa Mesa, California:
Body Arts and Science International, 2013.
Isacowitz, Rael. Auxiliary: Movement Analysis Workbook. Costa Mesa, California:
Body Arts and Science International, 2013.
Isacowitz, Rael. Wunda Chair: Movement Analysis Workbook. Costa Mesa,
California: Body Arts and Science International, 2013.
Isacowitz, Rael. Mat: Movement Analysis Workbook. Costa Mesa, California: Body
Arts and Science International, 2013.
Isacowitz, Rael. Cadillac: Movement Analysis Workbook. Costa Mesa, California:
Body Arts and Science International, 2013.
Isacowitz, Rael & Clippinger, Karen. Pilates Anatomy. Human Kinetics, 2011.
Conversations with Professionals
Dominique. BASI Pilates
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