Lifting with Scoliosis induced muscle imbalance

Medical Q&A [Moderated]
1

I have scoliosis and as a result have muscle imbalance. Right upper and left lower back are overdeveloped in a diagonal compared to the inverse.

I am currently doing the Stronglift 5x5 amd on my squats and overhead presses today is the first time it became an issue with the weight I am hitting. For instance in the squat on the raise I could see in the mirror that I vas veering to the favoured side and in the press the right arm would extend way before the left.

What should I do at this point? Should I maintain this load for a while, deload or increase weight? Will it eventually balance out? Should I include targeted isolationist exercise to help balance it out?

2

Jay85,

Thanks for joining the forum and hope you’re doing well.

As far as “muscle imbalances”- these may or may not be present secondary to scoliosis. In other words, some folks with scoliosis have no objective muscular imbalances on testing and some do. It should be noted however, that everyone has some degree of imbalance, e.g. one limb is stronger or bigger than another and usually nothing needs to be done about it.

I don’t think I would do anything about it, though I’d stop doing stronglifts and do our Beginner Template instead :slight_smile:

-Jordan