Working with for Adult Degenerative Scoliosis in the Pilates Environment
GOING BEYOND POSTURE IMPROVEMENT TO ADDRESS DEGENERATION
13 – 14 August 2025
12 CE hours, NCPT
Join us in Summer 2025 to deep dive into how to work with adult clients with degenerative scoliosis.
Advance as movement educators to a more important role in the health and wellness teams that work with scoliosis and asymmetry.
Course Description
A safe estimate is that 60% of adults over age 60 have an element of spinal degeneration associated with scoliosis worldwide. Wear and tear of the spine begins at about age 40 due to childbirth, falls/ accidents, microtrauma of work, and repetitive daily life motions. By age 50, more common back problems such as a dull backache or full sciatica with pain down a leg may occur. Other symptoms from the weakened bone structure and function of osteopenia/osteoporosis, the muscle loss of sarcopenia, and slowing of activity appear in the 60s and 70s, creating significant narrowing of a client’s window of function.
What is degenerative disc disease and how does it differ from degenerative scoliosis? Many times, conditions such as spondylolisthesis, vertebral slippage, and asymmetrical compression occur as the discs degenerate in an asymmetrical fashion at the transition points of the curves, often occurring together, a perfect storm.
What other age changes often occur with degeneration? Increased thoracic stiffness, kyphosis, as well as a flattened lumbar lordosis are common at this time due to less standing combined with the prevalence of female pelvic and chest wall injuries.
What specific Pilates exercises are most effective for relieving symptoms associated with pain and dysfunction of a degenerative disc disease scoliosis to help increase safety and alleviate pain?
What condition should be prioritized since one type of issue avoids flexion while the other avoids extension?
Typical Pilates exercise avoidances and popular scoliosis hacks need revitalizing to meet the demands of a complex Pilates clientele.
Go beyond posture improvement and learn an evidence-informed fascia-forward approach to address a variety of spinal pathologies in a Pilates environment. Learn a Penta modal Model™ Approach addressing differing sources of pain and narrowing of window of function from local, spinal, peripheral nerve and fascial connections.
Learn how to employ the bio tensegrity of Levin’s “bouncing bones” concepts and foot-loading into a typical Pilates session.
Learn to restore gait and spinal recoil with proven psychological skills. This course combines analytical concepts from Schroth, fascial elements from the Stecco Method, and foot-loading concepts from the FITS in Poland and Monrovia.
Additional therapies or treatments that complement Pilates for clients with degenerative scoliosis will also be suggested.
FAQ: How does this course differ from Aging with Asymmetry (AWA)?
This course focuses on the specific spinal, ribcage and pelvic pathologies that are commonly found with aging scoliosis and how to address them differently in the Pilates environment.
Many middle aged to older adults often seek spine care only after an apparent episode reveals symptoms seemingly reduced only with medication and medical procedures. This course investigates the difference between neuropathic, fascial, muscular, skeletal, and nerve impingement symptoms and discomforts to help us better serve our clients.
Who Should Attend This Course
Course Objectives
At the end of this 2-day, 12-hour course, participants will be able to;
- Build upon the skills learned in the Spinal Asymmetry and Essentials course
- Learn definitions of degenerative scoliosis and associated pathologies
- Learn about the differing elements of pain: inflammatory, nocioceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic
- Explore exercises designed specifically for re-directing spinal degeneration compression
- Learn Pilates environment fascial applications for neuropathic and entrapment discomfort
- Learn specific strategies and exercises for kyphosis, spondylolisthesis, spondylosis, disc disruption, osteopenia and osteoporosis
- Learn Reformer, Trapeze Table and Jump Board applications for recoil and bone bounce
- Learn precautions and contraindications for severely impacted clients
About Dr Suzanne Martin
Dr. Suzanne Clements Martin is a doctor of physical therapy, a gold-certified Pilates expert, a certified ACSM exercise physiologist, certified manual therapist as well as an award-winning author and video producer. She has authored 3 fitness books with Dorling Kindersley, and wrote columns for Dance Magazine and Dance Studio Life for a decade. Look for her recent publication, Spinal Asymmetry and Scoliosis, published by Handspring Publishing. She is presently working on a collaborative authorship with Elizabeth Larkam on connective tissue and hypermobility.
Dr. Martin has over 40 years of teaching experience in the health and movement fields, blending art and science into her instruction. As a performing arts specialist, she conducted nutrition seminars for the School of the San Francisco Ballet and has been the lead physical therapist for Smuin Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco for over 25 years. Through Pilates Therapeutics LLC, she provides instructional videos, virtual training, and mentored advanced Master qualification programs in the therapeutic application of the Pilates Method in topics of spinal asymmetry, cancer restoration, foot health and performing arts enhancement. For more information, email Dr. Martin at smdpt@att.net or visit pilatestherapeutics.com.
A lifelong learner, she recently completed certifications in Pelvic Health with the American Physical Therapy Association, Schroth Scoliosis Specific Exercise in the Barcelona tradition and Trigger Point Dry Needling Certification with Myopain Seminars.For further information, go to www.pilatestherapeutics.com.
