A Massage Therapist with Scoliosis

Walking the Path of Scoliosis: My Story

When I work with clients who have scoliosis, something inside me just clicks. It’s not only because I do bodywork for a living. It’s personal. I know what it feels like to walk that path.

Understanding the Real Tension Patterns

Through my own healing journey, I realized something important. The spots that hurt the most are not always where the real problem lives. For me, and for many people with scoliosis, the tension is not just on the obvious curve side. It runs deeper in the connective tissue.

Releasing around the ribcage and the lats, especially along the side of the scapula, made the biggest difference in easing my discomfort.

Most therapists focus on the side that hurts. For me, that was the left side, where my spinal curve is more pronounced. But that only addresses a symptom. The real root often lives in fascia and structural imbalance, not just in tight muscles. Doing that deeper work creates lasting meaningful change.

Why My Experience Matters in My Work

Because I have lived through scoliosis, surgery, and recovery, I bring a perspective and empathy that comes from experience. Whether someone has had fusion surgery or not, I truly believe bodywork can be transformative if it is done with intention, knowledge, and care.

I lean into modalities like Structural Integration and Myofascial Release (MFR) because they target fascia, not just muscles:

• Structural Integration is about creating length and space within the connective tissues. Gentle but deep work.

• Myofascial Release helps restore mobility and optimal length in both muscles and fascia.

What I See Online and Why It Breaks My Heart

I spend time on scoliosis forums, and it breaks my heart to read people say things like:

“I’m in so much pain after surgery. I don’t know how I will ever feel okay again.”

Here is the thing I want them to know. Healing is possible. With the right bodywork and exercise, life does not have to be limited by your back.

I am living proof. Despite having a fused spine, I move, work out, do Pilates, and live actively. Sure, there are things I cannot do, like the yoga cobra pose or backbends. But my scar and my back do not define me. They are part of me, but they do not limit what I am capable of.

Little Quirks, Big Truths

One funny truth about having a fused back? I get cold a lot. Especially in winter. Back when I lived in Chicago, I would wrap a scarf around my scar just to block the wind. At home now, I am usually glued to a heating pad. Not dramatic. Just part of how my body functions now. It is not a weakness. It is an adaptation.

From Scoliosis Surgery to Massage Therapy

You know that saying, “everything happens for a reason”? I truly believe it.

If I had not had my surgery, I would not be a massage therapist today. My experience with pain, the isolation, and not knowing where to turn pushed me into discovering deep tissue work, bodywork, and pain management. My pain became my purpose.

And honestly, that is what I hope my work can do for others. Help them find relief, feel empowered, and remember that their bodies are capable of so much, even after surgery or chronic pain.