#149 Running with Back Pain & Scoliosis: the Role of the Spine, Ribs, and Pelvis in Running

This episode is all about the back! Andrea is joined by Dr. Jeanne Halloran to take a deep dive into scoliosis and its effects on athletes. They explore the pathology and symptoms of scoliosis, the structure of the back and how it influences running mechanics, strategies and exercises to improve rib and spine mobility and more. Jeanne also lends us her expertise in Schroth therapy. The Schroth Method is a conservative treatment option for scoliosis–a curve specific exercise method that was developed in the 1920's by Katharina Schroth. It is a 3 dimensional approach that focuses on breathing and exercise techniques tailored to the individual.

Jeanne Halloran, PT, DPT earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from New York University in 2004 & Schroth-Barcelona BSPTS C1 certification in January 2019 and C2 certification in January 2020. She completed her SEAS 1 Cerification in May 2019. Jeanne evaluates, casts and fits custom orthotics and is trained in kinesiotaping. She has participated in continuing education course diversifying her manual skills including Maitlin, Mulligan, movement with Shirley Sahrman and sports medicine with Kevin Wilk. Jeanne is certified in Mat Pilates with Power Pilates and trained in Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization. Jeanne is also an avid runner who is always training for a race, whose goal is to be injury free and to get her patients back to sport and activities that they love. She practices at CT Scoliosis and Spine Rehab in Ridgefield, CT. You can find their practice online on Instagram and Facebook. To find a Schroth-certified PT in your area, check out this website.

The Subjective: have you ever had back pain interfere with your running? How did you deal with it?

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 11:54 - The Subjective: has a back issue ever effected your running?
• 16:12 - An overview of scoliosis
• 24:26 - What to do if you or your child have scoliosis
• 32:57 - How Schroth therapy works
• 44:20 - The research on the effectiveness of Schroth
• 49:46 - Running with scoliosis
• 55:07 - Common symptoms that runners with scoliosis experience
• 58:35 - Interventions to avoid for runners with scoliosis
• 1:01:20 - The role of the spine, ribs, and the pelvis in the running gait
• 1:06:35 - An overview of the SI joint
• 1:10:09 - Exercises to improve thoracic mobility
• 1:16:32 - Jeanne's current favorite shoes
• 1:17:43 - Wrap-up

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