Scoliosis and shooting stance

Hi Everyone,

My wife is starting to shoot with me at the indoor range, and because of her scoliosis is having trouble figuring out the best stance for her. Does anyone else have scoliosis and if so, how did you develop or modify your stance?

Thanks!

Val

I suspect it depends,on the degree of severity?  I have scoliosis, I have used Pilates for many many years as a way to somewhat mitigate it, although as you know there is no cure. Mine is not severe, however I always sit whenever I can between matches as well.

My scoliosis is in my upper back and my stance to others, probably looks like like any other shooter.
I think that teaching myself to ignore the pain taught me to concentrate on my shooting fundamentals and ignore distractions around me. And like Gregbenner use toe touching/stretching to help stay limber.

Note: I haven't taken any pain meds since my mid 20's, not even aspirin (Curcumin is natural and works well as a replacement for aspirin).
Hope this helps,
Wes

Has she experimented with stances of varying angles to the target? From parallel to 90 degrees and everything in between?

So, I guess it's just a question of finding what works best for her and not necessarily a traditional 90 degree or 45 degree angle to target.

She has a wonderful yoga teacher who specializes in treating scoliosis, so it's not a question of pain management but of efficient stance for shooting.

Mine is side to side and one shoulder is an inch lower. so I have an advantage in lock up and stability right handed and an off balance situation with left. Work with what you have, it will reveal itself.

A good stance is comfortable and repeatable. Have her experiment. You'll see high masters with varying stances. Also, take note of the average age and shape of shooters on the line . Gotta figure a lot of us have aches & pains (and pre-existing conditions) we have to accommodate for. Stick with the yoga and find what works best.

This is not a stance solution necessarily.  I had scoliosis not severe but enough that when my spine deterioration finally caused excessive pain down legs and buttocks as well as numbness I had back surgery for the second time 2017.  The first done in 2009 they only corrected pinched nerves that lasted 2 weeks before pain returned and was tolerable until late 2015.  The second operation, different DR and clinic, they said due to scoliosis it was necessary to repair the scoliosis for the repair of pinched nerves to be effective long term.  Now I have two rods from my hips to the T-10 near shoulder blades screwed to hip bones and all vertebra to T-10.  They also put metal spacers between 4 vertebra and fused a bunch of them.  The operation took a year to really recover from, but the pain is gone and I can stand up straight. I was 74 when I had it done and shooting solid expert.  Due to time off prior to surgery and since I am now struggling to shoot sharpshooter again but I expect when I get back to it this summer that will improve.  Now I do have a little trouble leaning back much at all doe to rods but it is great to stand straight and not hurt.  If anyone has questions about the surgery I would be happy to try an answer them.

I had some scoliosis as well as several deteriorated discs. I couldn’t stand long enough to shoot a rapid fire string. Like the last response I had a lower back surgery that lasted about 2 weeks. When it was where I couldn’t stand long enough to do anything I went to the Howard Allen clinic in Nashville TN. I had the same operation as the previous post rods from hips to t-10. Pain totally gone that surgery was Dec 2017. I have not yet gone back to shooting. When I stopped for the surgery I was shooting solid expert scores. I have let my arm muscles deteriorate so even though I am going to start shooting again at 81 I am not too sure I can even get back where I was.

Maybe someday I will figure it out.  I am going for a lumbar MRI tomorrow.....

Everybody's missing the important point here: that you got your wife to go to the range with you. Good job bringing a new shooter in.

I tried that a number of years ago. I got my (current wife; girlfriend at the time) SO to shoot league with me and even shoot the .22 match at Canton. I couldn't convince her to shoot a leg match. She eventually lost interest.

We do what we can to get others into the sport. I have to give her credit, because she'll never get me on a paraglider, that's for sure.

Still working on the young'un.

FWIW there is an  article here on stability.   Mostly rifle, but some pistol.
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nra/ssusa_200911/index.php