The worse case of scoliosis caused by muscle shortening that I have seen was
in a 16 year old son of a consultant geriatrician (they still called
themselves that at that time!) in Chester. He was a top school oarsman but
always rowed on one side. He was starting to get back pain - not surprising
with the scoliosis he had progressively got. Luckily with lots of stretching
and changing the side he rowed on it corrected quite easily. So no
researched evidence but quite a case history - it was a HUGE scoliosis!
Alison
-----Original Message-----
From: PHYSIO - for physiotherapists in education and practice
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Robert Treharne Jones
Sent: 26 March 2001 15:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: SV: Child Development & Heavy Weights
Is there any chance you can prove cause and effect, Isaac? I think it is
probably down to coincidence. I can't help feeling that if you measure a lot
of people they will have a 2cm difference between left and right shoulder
height.
The original question relates well to my own sport - rowing. About twenty
years ago there was a theory propounded, without any objective evidence
base, to suggest that it was harmful to row consistently on one side of the
boat, which is the major reason why school children in the UK start rowing
by sculling to age 16. Sculling is where you have a smaller oar, one in
either hand, which produces a symmetrical load on the growing skeleton,
while rowing is where you have a much larger oar stick out on one side of
the boat. It seems to be one of those 'good ideas at the time'. There are
other reasons why it is useful to start rowing by sculling, but asymmetric
loads on the body is probably not one of them.
Robert
----- Original Message -----
> My right shoulder is 2 cm lower than my left shoulder because I carried my
> schoolbag in school always on the right side. No problems though...
>
> Isaac
>
> -----Opprinnelig melding-----
> I thought the original question was regarding more sustained, uneven
loading
> carrying a bag or whatever. I may have got the wrong end of the stick but
I
> would be quite interested to know if there was any evidence to say whether
> assymetrical prolonged loading (eg. carrying a bag on one shoulder) would
> have any effect on the musculoskeletal system.
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