Generating Hope for Adult Degenerative Scoliosis
in the Pilates Environment
12 – 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 degenerative 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 osteopenia/osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and slowing of activity typically begin to show themselves in the 60s and 70s, narrowing a client’s window of function.
What specific Pilates exercises are most effective for relieving symptoms of degenerative scoliosis? Typical Pilates exercise avoidances and popular scoliosis hacks need revitalizing to meet the demands of an aging Pilates clientele. Go beyond posture improvement and learn an evidence-informed fascia-forward approach to address degeneration.
Learn how Levin’s “bouncing bones” concepts and foot-loading can be integrated into a typical Pilates session, restore what Levin calls “bouncing bones” recoil, and reduce pain and distress with proven psychological skills. This course combines analytical concepts from Schroth, fascial elements from the Lyon Method, and foot-loading concepts from FITS in Poland and Monrovia.
Additional therapies or treatments that complement Pilates for clients with degenerative scoliosis will also be addressed.
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 the elements and relievers of pain and distress generation
- Explore exercises designed specifically for re-directing spinal degeneration compression
- Learn Pilates environment fascial applications for neuropathic and entrapment discomfort
- 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.
COURSE DETAILS
13-14 August 2025
Course Fee:
S$1,250 Early Bird Price before 15 June 2025
S$1,500 Regular Price