Singapore: Women’s Health in Scoliosis

Description

Who This Course Is For

This seminar is designed for allied health professionals and movement practitioners who work with, or wish to confidently support, women with scoliosis across different life stages. It is suitable for:

Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Chiropractors
Pilates instructors (mat and apparatus)
Personal trainers and other qualified movement professionals

Participants should have a foundational understanding of anatomy and movement.

Prerequisites: Any specialised scoliosis training. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Spinal Asymmetry & Scoliosis Essentials by Dr Suzanne Martin
• Schroth‑based or BSPTS scoliosis training
• SEAS or other physiotherapy‑led scoliosis programmes
• Pilates‑based scoliosis education or mentorships
• Clinical courses focused on spinal deformities or complex spinal presentations

The course emphasises clinical reasoning, practical application, and Pilates‑based strategies rather than protocol‑driven exercise prescription.

Day 1: Pregnancy, Childbirth & Post‑Partum

This day focuses on supporting individuals with scoliosis through pregnancy, childbirth, and the extended post‑partum period. Using Pilates as a framework, participants will learn how to recognise and work with trimester‑specific changes while addressing individual scolio‑cues such as concavity, convexity, rib and shoulder girdle patterns, pelvic asymmetries, and leg discrepancies. Emphasis is placed on differentiating typical pregnancy‑related changes from scoliosis‑specific concerns, managing pain, optimising breathing and fascial support, and preparing the body for labour and recovery.

Key Focus Areas:

• Scoliosis‑specific posture and movement changes during pregnancy
• Trimester‑based precautions and programming
• Breathing, fascial imagery, and pelvic floor coordination
• Labour preparation and post‑partum restoration (up to 18 months)
• Safe return to gait, Pilates, and full activity

Pilates Environment: Mat, Reformer, and Trapeze Table

Day 2: Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Day 2 examines the strong correlation between abnormal spinal curvature and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Participants will gain a clear understanding of the types and stages of prolapse, risk factors across the lifespan, and how scoliosis‑related spinal mechanics influence pelvic organ support. Rather than viewing prolapse purely as pelvic weakness, this course reframes management through a bio‑tensegrity and fascial integrity lens, highlighting the roles of breath, position, and global connection in effective core engagement and functional improvement.

Key Focus Areas:

• Definition, causes, and stages of pelvic organ prolapse
• Fascial systems involved in prolapse
• Safe and effective Pilates strategies for this population
• Exercises and positions to include or avoid
• Psychological and functional benefits of successful movement experiences

Pilates Environment: Mat, Reformer, and Trapeze Table

Day 3: Osteopenia & Osteoporosis

The final day addresses bone health in individuals with scoliosis from adolescence through older adulthood. Participants will explore how osteopenia and osteoporosis can present during various life stages, including adolescence, pregnancy, post‑partum periods, athletic populations, and menopause. The course emphasises a fascia‑focused approach to bone health, examining the roles of muscle, load, balance, and sarcopeniaparticularly the psoas and multifidiin maintaining skeletal integrity and reducing fracture risk.

Key Focus Areas:

• Differences between osteopenia and osteoporosis in scoliosis
• Bone anatomy, physiology, and fascial connections
• Primary vs secondary osteoporosis
• Sarcopenia and age‑related muscle loss
• Load management and bone‑building strategies in Pilates

Pilates Environment: Mat, Reformer, and Trapeze Table