Thanks, Tom, for your kind appreciation and feedback. I need to tell you upfront that yours is an orthopedic issue that I'm not the best one to answer or guide you on. My specialty is in cardiovascular aspects. From personal experience, I can relate to the slight scoliosis, which I also have and which I ignored until two lumbar disks gave me the slip. With respect to strength exercise, I avoid those that involve carrying weights above the waistline (dumbbell shoulder presses, for example, or barbell squats). What worked best for me in the acute phase (that didn't recur for the past 20 years) was Namikoshi Shiatsu treatment. Not the esoteric type of treatment, but the acupressure using elbow and thumbs (and it can really hurt, but it helps if done by a master. It would probably help you release those muscle tension pains. It did it for me, and it still does when I have a slight flare-up. Other than that, your combination of water-based exercise and body-weight-based land exercise is probably the best solution