Before Scoliosis Surgery: Side Bend Stretch That Improves Breathing 👦🏼💙 | Severe CP PT #15

📉 Preparing for Scoliosis Surgery — Side Bend Stretch | Meet Jack 💙 Pediatric Physical Therapy 👋🏼 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a retired pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. Please meet my wonderful co-instructor Jack 👦🏼. 🧠 Jack’s Medical & Therapy Background Jack is 13 years old and has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy (GMFCS Level V), meaning significant whole-body involvement and full assistance for mobility. Jack also has: • A seizure disorder • Cortical vision impairment • Scoliosis • Complex medical needs He wears a cochlear implant and hearing aid and receives all nutrition through a G-tube. Jack has had prior orthopedic surgeries, including femoral derotation and heel-cord lengthenings. And most importantly — he is truly delightful. ✨ 📈 A quick update on Jack Since filming, Jack has had scoliosis surgery with excellent correction. His mother reports he is now about 3–4 inches taller, and it shows in his posture. This video was filmed **before surgery**. 🧠 Why this matters before surgery With scoliosis, muscles on one side become tight and shortened. After surgery (often correcting 50–70%), those tissues are suddenly placed on stretch. Preparing ahead can help with: • Comfort after surgery • Tolerance to positioning • Ease of movement and care 🎯 What we are working on In this video, I demonstrate a **side bending stretch for the upper trunk**. Jack is seated in front of me on a bench while I guide his movement. I: • Support at the rib cage and under the arm • Gently bring him toward upright • Use oscillations first • Then work toward holding end range Because of the severity of his scoliosis, I’m not forcing past upright — just helping him move closer to midline. 🫁 A bonus effect As Jack comes more upright, you can see improved breathing. When children are significantly side bent, rib expansion is limited. Even small changes can allow deeper breaths. 🔄 Using Total Motion Release (TMR) Instead of always stretching the tight side: • Move first into the easier direction • Hold to reduce tone • Then return to the restricted side For Jack, this helped him come closer to upright. 💡 Sometimes going “around the problem” works better than pushing directly into it. ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 Introduction to Jack & scoliosis surgery preparation 0:35 Why pre-surgical stretching matters 1:12 Side bending stretch demonstration 1:59 Using oscillations before end-range hold 2:16 Breathing changes with improved alignment 2:36 Introduction to Total Motion Release (TMR) 3:18 Working the easier side first 3:41 Comparing movement after TMR 3:58 Preparing tissues before surgery 4:34 Outro 🎯 Key topics 🌀 Side bending for scoliosis 🦴 Rib cage alignment 🫁 Breathing and positioning 👐 Tone management 🔄 TMR for mobility 🏥 Pre-surgical preparation 🌍 Who this video is for 👨🏽‍👩🏼‍👧 Families of children with cerebral palsy 👩🏾‍⚕️👨🏼‍⚕️ Therapists working with GMFCS IV–V 👩🏽‍🏫 Caregivers supporting children with limited communication 🧑🏾‍🦽 Children preparing for scoliosis surgery ⚠️ Important note This video is for educational purposes only. Please speak with your child’s physician or therapist before making medical decisions. 📚 My Children’s & Professional Physical Therapy Books “P is for Poop and Pee Accidents” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 “A is for Anxiety” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V “A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR “C is for Cerebral Palsy” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP “D is for Down Syndrome” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 “A is for Autism” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB “Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips” https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 “Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees” http://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 “Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD ✨ Watch More Videos with Jack    • Physical Therapy with a Child with Severe ...   My email: [email protected] I cannot provide treatment recommendations without evaluating your child. 🌍 Captions I review and correct all captions for accuracy. CC → Settings → Subtitles/CC → Auto-translate 👉🏽 Subscribe for *daily* videos and tap the 🔔