Can exercises correct a Scoliosis?
“One must be aware that scoliosis curves can neither be improved nor their progression prevented by exercises. However exercises for spine stabilization are beneficial for most people with spine problems.”

Contrary to popular medical dogma that exercise therapy isn't effective for scoliosis, with the help of the correctly trained physical therapist it is possible to stabilise and reduce most scoliotic curves with exercise, trigger point therapy and yoga.

In the early 1900s, a form of physical therapy referred to as "gymnastics" was often the treatment of choice for mild scoliosis. Therapeutic gymnastics from the early 1900's involved stretching, exercises and the use of traction from machines that had names like "trunk bending apparatus" and "shoulder pushing apparatus". The apparatus equipment of the early 20th century was similar to modern traction equipment.

Besides posture training, exercise was also once considered important for scoliosis prevention and treatment in the United States. It fell out of favour after a single study in the 1940s concluded that exercise was not effective in treating scoliosis - that only bracing and surgery were effective treatments. Stating that "exercise" is not an effective treatment for scoliosis, is not a valid conclusion from a single study.

While U.S. medical doctors may widely accept the premise that exercise does not have a place in scoliosis treatment, this does not mean it is true. Being widely accepted and being true do not mean the same thing. What is important to ask is, is their belief based on common medical dogma, or on actual scientific studies? The PubMed database at the website for The National Institute of Health, gives quite a few studies showing positive benefits from exercise for scoliosis patients.

On page 135 of Lateral Curvature of the Spine and Round Shoulders, published in 1916, the author, Dr. Robert W. Lovett writes that, "In mild structural scoliosis efficient gymnastics should constitute the sole treatment, and may be continued as the sole treatment so long as the improvement from one exercise period exists until the next one." The before and after pictures shown below are taken from the Lovett book and illustrate a significantly reduced curve in a young woman after a number of years of gymnastic treatment.

Scoliosis: Before and After Pictures from an early 20th Century Exercise Program

Left photo - Patient with left dorsal curve in 1900
Right photo - Same patient in 1905 after five years of exercise and stretching treatment from a technique that was advocated by orthopaedic surgeons in the early 1900s but has, in recent decades, been superseded by surgery and bracing.

Source: page 133, Lateral Curvature of the Spine and Round Shoulders, Robert W. Lovett, M.D., John B. and Buckminster Brown Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School. Published 1916, by P. Blakiston's Son & Co., Philadelphia. Third Edition.