Pilates

The Rise of The Movement Practitioner

This blog is written by Dr. Brent Anderson as part of an ongoing conversation at the intersection of movement science and clinical reasoning.

With the Summer Pathokinesiology Certification cohort opening for registration on May 1, alongside early bird tuition – this is your invitation to step into the work and join a global community advancing how we understand movement and pathology.

The Rise of The Movement Practitioner: Bridging Fitness & Healthcare

The next evolution of healthcare isn’t happening in hospitals, it’s happening in movement studios. A new kind of professional is emerging: one who understands both the science of pathology and the language of movement. Not just instructors. Not just clinicians – Movement practitioners.

Movement practitioners like Shelly Power, who I write about in my blog When Movement Speaks First, are already leading this shift, bridging the gap between what we see in the body and what’s often missed in traditional care. And they are quietly reshaping how we approach health, recovery, and performance.

Every day, people walk into movement spaces carrying far more than a desire to exercise. They bring pain, diagnoses, compensations, fears, and unanswered questions about their bodies. They are navigating chronic conditions, recovering from injuries, or simply trying to feel at home in their bodies again.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are making decisions that influence their outcomes.

The challenge is not a lack of care or intention – It’s a lack of framework. Most movement professionals are trained in exercises, but not in how pathology shapes movement, or how movement can influence pathology. So we rely on intuition, experience, and pattern recognition… without always having the language to support it.

But intuition is not guesswork, it’s recognition, and recognition can be trained. When we begin to understand how the body adapts to injury, stress, and disease, movement becomes something more than exercise. It becomes a form of assessment, a form of communication and a form of intervention.

This is where the role begins to shift from instructor to practitioner, and from delivering workouts to making decisions. You stop asking “What exercise should I teach?” and ask “What does this body need?” – This is the work. It requires more than repertoire, and it requires a deeper understanding of how pathology influences movement and how movement, in turn, can influence pathology.

This is the foundation of Pathokinesiology. The study of how pathology impacts movement, and how movement influences pathology. A framework designed to give movement professionals the clarity, confidence, and language to step into this role fully.

Across more than 20 countries, movement professionals are already stepping into this work. They are working with older adults, clients in chronic pain, post-rehabilitation populations, and individuals whose needs don’t fit neatly into a single category.

Not as replacements for healthcare, but as informed collaborators within it – because the future of health is not built on isolated disciplines, it’s built on integration, on communication and on a shared understanding of the human body in motion.

If you’ve ever felt the responsibility of guiding someone through pain,
If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re doing the right thing,
If you’ve ever sensed that there is more to understand beneath what you’re seeing,
I’ve been there, and…You’re right.

And you’re already closer than you think! Pathokinesiology is the next step, and I hope to see you inside!

-Dr.Brent

Enrollment for the Pathokinesiology Certification Summer Cohort opens May 1, with early bird tuition available—the course begins July 1st.

Pathokinesiology in Action: How Movement Instructors Detect Early Warning Signs

When Movement Speaks First 

This blog reflects the thinking behind Dr. Brent Anderson’s Pathokinesiology Certification, an advanced exploration of movement, pathology, and critical reasoning. 
Early-bird tuition is available through March 1 → (View program details) 

Shelly Power has been my longtime accomplice in nearly everything Polestar Pilates has become. 

For decades, we’ve taught together, debated together, and built programs side by side. Shelly has an extraordinary ability to see movement clearly, not because she looks harder than others, but because she understands context – she understands people, and she understands history. 

Wellness Practitioners See Early Signs First

One day, she was walking through the studio. A longtime client, someone Shelly had worked with for years, was exercising in the foot straps with another teacher. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary session. But Shelly slowed down. She watched more closely. 

The movement was strange. Not inefficient, not weak or compensatory in any familiar way. It simply didn’t match the body she knew so well. 

Shelly didn’t rush in or label anything – she didn’t diagnose. She recognized that what she was seeing did not belong. She called our lead physical therapist at the time, who specialized in neurology.  They came in and observed quietly for a moment and immediately saw the same thing. Emergency services were called under the concern that the client might be having a stroke. 

She wasn’t, but it turned out she had terminal brain cancer, and Shelly was the first to notice its effects through movement. 

That moment has stayed with me, not because of the outcome, but because of where it began. Not in a hospital or imaging suite, but in a movement studio, during a routine session, observed by someone who knew that body deeply. 

This is something I have seen repeatedly over the years. 

Early indicators of disease often appear first in movement: subtle changes in coordination, timing, orientation, or strategy. And the people most likely to notice those changes are not always clinicians. They are movement professionals who work with clients week after week, year after year. 

Yet many instructors are taught – explicitly or implicitly, to doubt their observations. To stay quiet. To fear overstepping – but clarity is not overstepping. 

Pathokinesiology was created to support that clarity. 

This work does not replace medical evaluation or diagnosis. Those responsibilities rightly belong to licensed professionals. What this training does is strengthen how movement professionals observe, reason, communicate, and collaborate within a broader treatment landscape. 

It allows an instructor to recognize, with confidence and professionalism, when a movement pattern no longer aligns with a client’s known history, and to communicate that observation clearly and appropriately. 

Completing this program represents a deep commitment, nearly a year of study – to understanding how pathology influences movement, and how movement can reflect pathology long before it is formally named. It prepares movement professionals to participate thoughtfully and confidently as part of a treatment plan, without fear and without guesswork. 

The Future of Pilates in Healthcare

Just as important, it builds community! We are intentionally cultivating a network of practitioners equipped to work with diverse populations, people navigating injury, disease processes, deconditioning, stress, and the realities of modern life. 

Today, more than 70% of adults are living with some form of movement dysfunction or disease-related limitation. Sedentary lifestyles, environmental stress, and cumulative load all leave their mark on the body. 

Movement professionals are already on the front lines of this reality. 

Pathokinesiology exists to support them, to give structure to what many already sense, and to elevate movement observation as a meaningful part of prevention, early intervention, and long-term care. 

Sometimes prevention begins with attention. Sometimes early intervention begins with noticing. 
And sometimes, everything changes because someone paused, watched, and trusted what movement was revealing. 

Our first cohort begins in April, and I would genuinely love to have you join us!

-Dr.Brent

For more information on Dr.Brent’s Pathokinesiology Certification – Visit: “Pathokinesiology”

Fascia and Pilates

Barnes Myofascial Release and Polestar Pilates – a Life Changing Partnership

Guest post by Dr. Carol Davis

In 2013, Brent Anderson and I explored the idea about treating patients with myofascial release at his Polestar Pilates center in Coral Gables across the highway from my office at the University of Miami. I told him I thought that there was a great opportunity for us to collaborate. Manual therapy techniques that offer sustained soft touch and elongation to help release facial restrictions might prove to be a wonderful adjunct for those Pilates patients who can’t seem to smooth out their leg circles or to lie comfortably flat on the reformer bed. And indeed, a wonderful partnership developed over a period of 15 years, where clients and teachers and patients all came together to appreciate and heal in the presence of two powerful therapeutic modalities, Polestar Pilates and JF Barnes Myofascial Release, working in concert for ease and flow and function.

What is myofascial release according to the Barnes sustained soft pressure and elongation approach?

Fascial science has grown exponentially in the last 20 years ever since the emergence of the International Fascia Research Congress in 2007 in Boston, and the premier of Jean-Claude Guimberteau’s groundbreaking video of an endoscopic view of fascia, Strolling Under the Skin,  (https://youtu.be/eW0lvOVKDxE?si=ZuNXZaM7mmZ7mY36living fascia that reveals a fascia never before really experienced outside the human body.

Since that time, many have struggled to find words to adequately describe this living vibrating crystalline tissue, found in one continuous web from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet.  Contiguous, with no beginning and no end.  Many definitions have emerged to try to describe fascia, and each one seems to fall short based on the limitations fostered by the discipline trying to harness this tissue for its own revelations. Anatomists often speak of fascia and layers, but Jean-Claude Guimberteau in his endoscopic view declares there are no layers; fascia exists in us in one continuous web with no spaces and no separations. But try to teach anatomy without identifying layers!  Fascia, all agree, is uniformly made of a mucopolysaccharide Type II gel composed of crystalline water, elastin, collagen, fibroblasts and other cells that are relevant to the area that fascia is supporting.

My own definition of fascia emphasizes the fact that fascia serves as a pathway for the many energetic flows within the body/mind. I maintain that, “Fascia is the living vibrating crystal matrix system within life forms that unites all other systems functionally. This communication flow of information with all systems by way of facial vibration is also known functionally as the mind ; It works to facilitate homeostasis and elevates the importance of fascia to great significance, a hierarchy within heterarchically equal systems of biotensegral energy flowing within and through the architecture of the fascial system.”

Emphasizing the role of energy resonance within and throughout the body connecting every cell, every organ, every system one to another in ongoing communication opens the pathway for consideration of how the energy flowing within us is transmitted through the facial system to our biofield. Fascial vibration offers a hypothetical explanation for how our thoughts and emotions can be transmitted nonverbally to another person. Interesting research is revealing that the intention and attention of the therapist can be energetically, non-verbally received by the interoceptive nervous system of the receiving patient or client.   

Dr. Carol Davis is an author, has been studying with John F. Barnes, PT since 1988, and has been assisting with Myofascial Release Seminars since 1997. To learn more about Fascia from Dr. Davis, please join us this weekend in her 3-hour Online “All Things Fascia” workshop. May 17th, 12-3PM Eastern.

Breast Cancer and Pilates Rehabilitation Choices

Extract from The Pilates Journal
By Jennifer Guest

To date in 2023, there have been 20,600 new cases of Breast Cancer recorded in Australia (20,395 females and 205 males). The average age of diagnosis is 62 years old, with one in eight being diagnosed before the age of 85 years old.   

The incidence of Breast Cancer is increasing, due to accurate diagnosis with improved screening and hormonal factors which I will elaborate on below. But pleasingly, the mortality rates are reducing as early detection and treatment options are improving.   

Let us look at the hormonal factors. The more estrogen in your body, the higher the risk of developing breast cancer. If you start menstruation prior to 12 years old and do not move through menopause until post 55 years old, you are at higher risk. Those women who have never had a pregnancy also present as a higher risk. 75 per cent of breast cancer is in the ages 50 years plus and those most at risk are women who are post-menopausal.   

There is one genetic factor for Breast Cancer. The BRCA 1 and BRCA2 gene predispose a person to Breast Cancer. If there are changes to these genes, cancer cells will proliferate.   

To read the full article, please visit The Pilates Journal.

Get inspired and enhance your knowledge as a Pilates Instructor or Studio Owner with The Pilates Journal. Stay updated with the latest trends and developments in the Pilates industry, gaining valuable insights to drive the success of your business.

Join a community of like-minded professionals and learn from top industry experts, while connecting with peers who share your passion for Pilates.

About The Author

Jennifer Guest is an Examiner and Faculty for Polestar Pilates Australia as well as the Director of Smart Health Training and Services in South Australia. You can read more about her here!

Register for this week’s episode of Pilates Hour and join Dr. Brent Anderson and Monica Larcada in a meaningful conversation on breast cancer as Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close.

How Pilates Transforms Dancers & Preserves Their Bodies

By: Ana Bolt Turrall

Pilates has long been a transformative practice for dancers, and I can personally attest to its impact! This method offers a unique blend of strength, flexibility, body awareness, and an understanding of body mechanics that traditional dance training often lacks. Cross-training with Pilates not only enhances performance but also protects dancers from common injuries. Below, I will share a few examples of the benefits Pilates offers dancers. 

Enhanced Core Strength and Stability

One of the fundamental principles of Pilates is ‘Movement Integration,’ which is essential for building overall strength. This principle emphasizes the cohesive movement of the body throughout space with precision. Equipment like the reformer and other versatile apparatuses offer a wide range of exercises that involve pushing and pulling through resistance and assistance, guiding the body through different planes of motion. For dancers, strengthening this principle is essential for maintaining dynamic balance, executing precise movements, and performing complex choreography with ease. 

Note: one important area where dancers can see improvement through Pilates, as I did when I first discovered it, is in proper breathing techniques and understanding the role of a neutral spine in effective external and internal rotation. Pilates exercises target these areas to balance the deep foundational muscles essential for strong technique, particularly the core muscles of the trunk. Mastering this will help dancers develop the stability needed for improved control and fluidity, enhancing their technical abilities. This core-centric approach ensures that dancers can sustain their performances with grace and power, reducing the strain on other parts of the body. 

Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation

The repetitive nature of dance movements often leads to overuse injuries, particularly in the hips, knees, and ankles. Pilates addresses these vulnerabilities by promoting balanced muscle development and joint stability through resistance and load. Equipment like the Cadillac helps in aligning the body correctly, strengthening the muscles around vulnerable joints, and enhancing overall flexibility. Pilates mat work can also help improve overall body strength and address weaknesses without equipment. This not only helps in preventing injuries but also provides a structured method for rehabilitation, allowing dancers to recover more quickly and return to their practice with renewed strength. 

Improved Flexibility and Range of Motion

Flexibility is a cornerstone of dance, and Pilates excels in enhancing it through controlled, precise movements that stretch and lengthen muscles. Sometimes, working with dancers, I have had to work in smaller ranges of motion to maintain the strength required for on-demand muscle reaction, instead of working with their available ambit. Unlike static stretching, Pilates promotes dynamic flexibility, which is more applicable to dance. Dancers often find that Pilates helps them achieve greater extension, higher jumps, and more fluid movements. This improved range of motion allows dancers to explore new dimensions in their performances, making their routines more captivating and expressive. 

Increased Body Awareness and Alignment

Pilates fosters a heightened sense of body awareness, which is crucial for alignment in motion for dancers to maintain performance and prevent injury. Dancers who practice Pilates often report a stronger connection between their mind and body, enabling them to execute movements with greater precision and confidence. 

As an older dancer myself, I have benefited from the Pilates method well into my adult life. At 55 years old, I still have music left to play! Pilates has allowed me to evolve as a dancer, maintaining my passion and physical practice. My goal is to inspire others like me to not forget the beauty of movement and to express it, proving that age is no barrier to the joy and language that dance brings. Incorporating Pilates into dance training enhances a dancer’s physical capabilities and enriches their overall artistry. By building strength, preventing injuries, and preserving the body, Pilates empowers dancers to reach their full potential and sustain long, healthy careers in the demanding world of dance.  

About the Author

Ana Bolt Turrall is a movement educator and artist whose journey spans continents and disciplines. Originally from Nicaragua, Ana’s life has been shaped by experiences in Spain, Honduras, Canada and the U.S., where she now channels her passion for movement, faith, and education into inspiring others. As an adjunct professor at FSCJ, she teaches Humanities for the performing arts, blending dance, fitness, Pilates, and holistic well-being. Through her brand, The Bolt Movement, Ana empowers people of all ages to embrace healthy movement and creativity. With certifications from Polestar® Pilates and as a nationally certified Pilates instructor (NCPT®), her expertise is supported by continuous learning, including a Master’s in Fine Arts and studies in advanced movement methodologies.

Beyond the studio, Ana’s influence extends to artistic collaborations, performances at events like the Theology of the Body Congress, and the creation of works such as “The Vessels of Grace & The Graces of Aging.” She is committed to serving others through children’s dance programs and movement programs for survivors of domestic abuse. Recognized with numerous awards, including Teacher of the Year and Hispanic Artist of the Year, Ana’s legacy is defined by her compassion, creativity, and dedication to using movement as a means of transformation and healing.

Follow Ana on Instagram here and read more about The Bolt Movement here.

Fitness Guidelines for Adults with Spinal Disorders

By: Lise Stolze

Introduction

The research community coined the term “Adult Spinal Deformity” (ASD) to represent specific abnormalities of the lumbar or thoracolumbar spine in adults. ASD includes scoliosis, a 3-dimensional spinal condition, and hyper-kyphosis, a sagittal plane spinal condition. In this discussion we will refer to ASD as Adult Spinal Disorder – a more sensitive characterization of the term. ASD is of growing interest in healthcare because of its prevalence in a population that has expanded due to increased longevity. 

Adult Scoliosis Types 

ASD includes 3 types of adult scoliosis1

Type 1: Primary degenerative scoliosis is attributed to asymmetric disc disorder and/or facet joint arthritis, with predominantly back pain symptoms, often accompanied by signs of spinal stenosis. It is often classified as ‘‘de novo’’ scoliosis and occurs mostly as a lumbar or thoracolumbar curve with a sagittal deviation in the form of flat back or lumbar kyphosis. 

Type 2: Idiopathic adolescent scoliosis is thoracic and/or lumbar spine scoliosis which progresses in adult life and is usually combined with secondary degeneration.  

Type 3: Secondary adult curves: 

  • Due, for example, to a leg length discrepancy or hip pathology. 
  • Due to a metabolic bone disease (mostly osteoporosis) combined with asymmetric arthritic disease and/or vertebral fractures.  

All three types of scoliosis may appear as degenerative scoliosis, and the primary cause is often difficult to determine once the degeneration has significantly progressed.  

Progression 

People with ASD are at risk for progression resulting in spine instability, pain and disability. Research by Weinstein et al14 examined progression of scoliosis based on the cobb angle: 

  • > 30 deg Cobb: probable progression .5-.75°/year.
  • > 50 deg Cobb: certain progression of 1°/year.

Spine instability refers to excessive movement at vulnerable spinal segments. In scoliosis and hyper-kyphosis these segments tend to be transitional areas of the spine that occur above and below the curve apex – which is more rigid. Progression of spinal disorder occurs with lack of stabilization at these vulnerable transitional segments and results in degeneration and further compression of the concavities. 

Exercise 

Exercise has been shown to improve muscle mass and strength, both of which tend to decrease in older adults. There are 3 main exercise categories:  

  • PSSE: Physiotherapy Scoliosis Specific Exercise is provided by physical therapists certified in this evidence-based intervention. PSSE such as the Schroth Method is considered a “corrective” form of exercise intervention. General principles of PSSE are “elongation and expansion” – principles that can also be applied to fitness activities.   
  • Fitness: strength and flexibility exercises to maintain overall health and independence, or to prepare for sports and/or recreation. While fitness exercise is not corrective in nature, the health benefits are numerous. Adults with spinal disorder are vulnerable to progression, and care must be taken to reduce risk when selecting exercises. 
  • Sports and recreation: “competitive games or active leisure” that enhances quality of life.   

What Type of Exercise is Recommended? 

Current exercise recommendation for ASD is vague. So my collaborators (Hagit Berdishevsky, Sanja Schreiber and Jean Claude de Mauroy) and I conducted a Scoping Review in search of any research articles that refer to exercise recommendations for adults with scoliosis. After finding no studies that fit our criteria, we developed an algorithm based on risk to help adults with spinal disorders make safe exercise choices. 

Exercise Recommendation Based on Risk Assessment 

Ideally, the client with scoliosis would receive scoliosis specific exercises (PSSE) with a PSSE trained physical therapist, then progress to a home program including fitness exercises that support their PSSE training. They could then theoretically continue their sport activity. 

A conflict occurs when a fitness program focuses on sport mastery, such as improving golf swing, and then the selected exercises contribute to spinal compression, sheer forces and scoliosis progression. The fitness program design should be based on risk assessment, where exercises are selected according to the adult’s stabilization requirement. A fitness program serves as “stability cross training” to allow the adult to continue the sport/activity they love, for as long as possible. 

Medical Research:  Classification System 

Research on ASD and progression has been done primarily in the surgical management of ASD. Classification systems have been designed to help guide management choices for spinal disorders. In 2006 Schwab and others8 developed a classification system for ASD that was validated in 2012.9 This large retrospective cohort study examined people with ASD who consulted a surgeon about their pain and disability.  Some eventually received a surgical fusion (the ultimate stabilization). Those who were not fused received a conservative plan of care that often included PT and exercise. 

Characteristics shared by those who had fusion surgery were analyzed. A classification was established based on their shared characteristics.  These shared characteristics were then used to help predict which patients would be more likely to benefit from fusion surgery. High-risk patients shared the following radiological criteria.9 

Summary of Radiological Risk Factors 

  • Sagittal Plane Imbalance: 
    • a more forward flexed posture (offset of trunk in relation to pelvis) 
    • increased posterior pelvic tilt  
    • reduced lumbar lordosis  
  • Coronal Plane Imbalance:   
    • the presence of a lumbar curve 
    • increased coronal offset of the pelvis in relation to the trunk 

Radiological risk factors are called “adult spine modifiers” in surgical terminology and may be used by therapists and fitness instructors to determine the risk of spinal instability for a patient/client. Modifiers may be used with a physical examination focusing on gait, posture and movement competence to obtain a risk stratification to determine optimal treatment planning that includes fitness exercises: 

  • When the level of risk is high due to the presence of modifiers, a stability program is recommended.
  • When there are no spine modifiers, there is less risk and no need to restrict spinal motion in a fitness program.   

What if there is no X-Ray? 

Sometimes there is no x-ray available. This is mostly true in a fitness setting. The fitness instructor must determine if their adult client is at high-risk for pain and disability in the future. When no x-ray is available, the following clinical tests may be used.  These tests correlate with three of the radiological criteria: 

  • Scoliometer assessment4 to find the presence of primary lumbar curve  
  • C7 to Wall Distance2 to determine the presence of Sagittal Imbalance  
  • Plumb Line5 to determine the presence of Coronal Imbalance  

Movement Competence Risk Factors 

Movement Competence describes the effectiveness of a person’s underlying processes of movement including coordination, control and movement quality. Movement competence improves reaction to any destabilizing forces on the spine. 

Movement Competence Assessment can be: 

  1. A formal standardized test such as the Functional Movement Screen (FMS)12 or a formal non-standardized test like the Polestar Assessment Tool: 
Courtesy of Polestar Pilates
  1. An informal test such as:
    • any movement examination that would inform the exercise plan 
    • a person’s change of position or location 
    • a judgement or evaluation 
    • an estimation of ability 

What are the outcomes of a Movement Competence Test and what do they tell us about risk assessment?   

  • Challenged Mover:  A person who requires on-going coaching to maintain optimal alignment during fitness exercises: mod-high risk  
  • Competent Mover: A person who is appropriate for a self-guided exercise program based on their Movement Competence Assessment: low risk 

Exercise Selection 

Now we can use risk factors (both structural and movement) to develop an exercise plan that includes the following exercise categories: 

  • Basic Spine Stability category.
  • Advanced Spine Stability category.
  • Controlled Spine Movement category.

This flow chart depicts exercise selection and advancement based on risk: 

Additionally, fitness exercises can be modified to reduce compressive forces on concavities (collapsed areas in ASD) in the frontal and sagittal planes:  

Pain 

Pain is a complex experience and differs from person to person. It is a warning that something is not quite right.  It can cause a person to avoid certain actions (fear avoidance). Pain is part of the vicious cycle of ASD as described by Weinstein in 1986.14   ASD vicious cycle starts with: 

  1. Symmetric and/or asymmetric degeneration (that can be new from degenerative changes in adulthood or an add-on to existing scoliosis from adolescence).   
  1. Asymmetric load will continue and most likely create instability of the spine: listhesis in 3D which can give rise to progression, pain and disability.   

Does Exercise Help? 

Exercise reduces pain perception and can affect mental health, mood elevation and reduction of stress and depression.  It can produce an analgesic effect through activation of the central nervous system inhibitory pathways. Pain has both physical and psychological components.Adults tend to have mild to moderate pain as part of their daily life. If pain continues despite an appropriate fitness program based on an assessment, then we call this “persistent” pain. Ultimately, if the adult has failed to improve and pain is no longer tolerated, then referral to a specialist in ASD is recommended.  

Delphi Study 

My colleagues and I tested our theory of exercise selection based on structural and movement competence risk factors to see if experts in our field agreed with us. We sent an anonymous survey to 50 physical therapists around the world who specialize in PSSE for adults with spinal disorder. Two rounds of questions were sent, and respondents were provided results and feedback from the first round to help them achieve consensus in the second. 21/50 experts in ASD responded and a consensus of 75% agreement on all questions was achieved, resulting in the following exercise recommendations: 

Exercise Recommendations for People with Adult Spinal Disorder 
Adults with persistent pain should consult a specialist in ASD, preferably prior to beginning a general fitness exercise program 
Adults with modifiers verified radiographically or clinically should perform spine stability exercises 
Adults without modifiers who lack movement competence should begin primarily with spine stability exercises and may advance to unrestricted exercises if movement competence improves 
We are currently preparing a larger Delphi study to increase the strength of these findings. 

What About Sports? 

Recreational sports have a positive impact on quality of life, perhaps even justifying any potential risks they may impose on those with scoliosis and adult modifiers. It would be prudent for adults with ASD and risk factors who want to continue their sport, to work with a qualified fitness instructor who can provide an exercise program emphasizing stability as cross training. The adult with higher risk for instability should understand its ramifications and make an informed decision about continuing their sport. If they decide to continue their sport, they should be supported. We can help them be happy and safe! 

About the Author

Lise Stolze, MPT, DSc, is a scoliosis and spinal conditions specialist for adolescents and adults and an SSOL-Schroth educator. She is certified through the Barcelona Scoliosis Physical Therapy School (BSPTS C2) and Scientific Exercise Approach to Scoliosis (SEAS 2). Dr. Stolze owns Stolze Therapies: Scoliosis, Spine and Movement Arts in Denver Colorado, an orthopedic physical therapy clinic and studio for Pilates, fitness and movement. She is an active member of the International Society on Scoliosis Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT). Dr. Stolze co-created the course: Scoliosis and Spinal Conditions Pilates Master Course: Supporting the Principles of the Schroth Method. She has recently completed the collaborative research study: Best Practice Fitness Exercise Guidelines for Adults with Spinal Disorders: A Delphi Survey, which helps to establish fitness exercise recommendations for physical therapists and fitness professionals working with adults who have scoliosis and other spinal disorders. 

You can follow Lise on Instagram and Facebook and catch her on some of our Pilates Hour episodes.

References

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  1. Amatachaya P, Wongsa S, Sooknuan T, Thaweewannakij T, Laophosri M, Manimanakorn N, Amatachaya S.  Validity and reliability of a thoracic kyphotic assessment tool measuring distance of the seventh cervical vertebra from the wall. Hong Kong Physiother J. 2016,13;35:30-36.  
  1. Berjano P, Lamartina C. Classification of degenerative segment disease in adults with deformity of the lumbar or thoracolumbar spine. Eur Spine J. 2014;23(9):1815-1824.  
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