Scoliosis and the Schroth Method

What is Idiopathic Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a spinal deformity that typically begins in childhood in otherwise healthy people. It may progress during adolescent growth periods and in adulthood due to normal aging degeneration of the spine. We call the condition idiopathic because we don’t know a specific cause for the condition. You may hear the term “three-dimensional” used when talking about your scoliosis treatment. That’s because Schroth addresses three of the ways scoliosis affects our spine: its rotation, lateral translation, and the collapse of the spine. But what exactly is Schroth?

What is Schroth?

Schroth is a research-supported treatment for scoliosis. It is comprised of scoliosis-specific exercises and postural retraining based on the patient's unique spinal curve pattern. These exercises will:

Rebalance the muscles and retrain them to hold the best correct posture.
Tap into the deep system of postural muscles—the muscular system that stabilizes and supports the spine and trunk/torso.
Help achieve trunk balance, so that the head, torso, and legs rest in a global harmony creating spinal balance and stability.
Improve body mechanics and spinal stabilization to prevent further curve progression.
Better a patient's ability to reduce the spinal deformity through active postural alignment of the spine in three dimensions (known as auto-correction).

Physical Therapy for Minor Scoliosis

10-year-old Isaac has a slight curve in his spine. He’s been working with Lee Health Pediatric Orthopedic Physical Therapist Christine Martin for the last year and a half. “A lot of these kids have decreased self-confidence because of the shape of their spine. I really try to teach them to take control and that they can have ownership over their curve. With the exercises, they’re able to learn and actually make corrections in front of themselves and see improvement in their spine,” said Martin.

Isaac’s curve doesn’t keep him from playing his favorite sports, tennis and soccer. “It’s whatever they want to do. My number one priority is for them to be active, because any activity that they’re participating in is going to encourage all that strengthening that I need and will help with respiratory and cardiac function,” said Martin.

In addition to training in our facility, Isaac has daily home exercises. “He lays down on his side and works on his breathing and just having control of the breathing and making sure he’s filling his lungs to capacity, and then we work on coordination and balance,” said Amber, his mother.

All that hard work is paying off. “I think the biggest thing we are seeing is honestly just being able to make it through the day, muscle tone wise, and just being less fatigued,” said Amber. You can learn more by searching for scoliosis on leehealth.org.

Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida/Lee Health Outpatient Rehabilitation offers Schroth Physical Therapy by BSPTS Schroth Certified Therapists at several of our locations. Our therapists evaluate and treat all specific patient curve patterns!

Goals of Schroth Treatment:

Stop curve progression at puberty (or possibly even reduce it).
Prevent or treat spinal pain syndromes.
Improve aesthetics via postural correction.
Overall Improve the quality of life.
To prevent or treat respiratory dysfunction.
Avoid surgery.

Schroth Therapy Helps Treat Patients With:

Idiopathic Scoliosis
Juvenile kyphosis
Postural Hyperkyphosis
Hyper-lordosis
Pectus excavatum/carinatum

Dennis Morgan has been a runner all his life. "I've always exercised but for two years I haven't been able to do anything." He was diagnosed with adult-onset scoliosis—a condition that's made even walking and standing painful. "It's limited my life in terms of mobility and flexibility. I'm not able to do things like I used to do." Catherine McManus is a physical therapist with the Lee Health scoliosis program. The new program uses the Schroth Method to teach patients helpful exercises to slow the progression of scoliosis. "The specific Schroth method is a three-dimensional exercise for the treatment of scoliosis. The actual progression of scoliosis is three-dimensional so this is a treatment method that is happening in the three-dimensional plane. We are trying to improve the patient's posture because if they are going to get a progression of their scoliosis, they are going to get an abnormal posture and they're going to get a muscle imbalance," she said. The exercises are personalized for each patient and designed to help decrease pain, improve function and prevent further collapse of the spine. "Within several months I'm hoping that I'm able to go and do things that I Want to do, walk and stand in a line if I had to," said Morgan. Techniques that can help children, adolescents, and adults live better life with scoliosis.

Schroth in SWFL

Schroth is a treatment for scoliosis offered to scoliosis patients in Southwest Florida. DPT Cathy McManus and her patient introduce you to the Schroth Method and how it's administered.

Schroth physical therapy in Fort Myers

Call the number below to learn more about what Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida offers for children with scoliosis.

Outpatient Rehabilitation - City Center

3114 Cleveland Ave Fort Myers, FL 33901

Fax: (239) 343-4089

Get Directions

Phone number (239) 343-4960
Outpatient Rehabilitation - Pediatric Orthopedics

15821 Hollyfern Ct Fort Myers, FL 33908

Fax: (239) 343-7463

Get Directions

Phone number (239) 343-6690