Treating Scoliosis with Physical Therapy

Understanding Treatment Options When Living With Scoliosis

Schroth Method and Scoliosis

As South Florida’s leader when it comes to physical therapy and chiropractic care, our clinical team is well versed in treating scoliosis.  From pediatrics to geriatrics, our trained therapists and chiropractors design a comprehensive treatment plan for each patient.

Scoliosis Treatment Using The Schroth Method

Schroth Method is a non-surgical scoliosis treatment that uses a specific type of exercises based on the principle that the postural component of scoliosis can be improved by altering the force that acts on the spine. Every patient who suffers from scoliosis has a unique curve pattern, which is why our goal is to de-rotate and de-flex the trunk that will allow a return to a more proper and normal physiological position in every patient.
A lot of people are skeptical when they hear the term “scoliosis exercise”, but we don’t blame them because scoliosis is a serious condition that cannot be treated overnight. Although not easy, once you master the Schroth exercises, you can improve your condition.

Schroth exercises for scoliosis

Scoliosis looks like a backward C or S and involves bending of the spine sideways to the right or left. The vertebrae of the spine form a curve, and in many patients, the spaces between the vertebrae become stretched in some areas and compressed in others. Because of this, our physical therapy involves a 3D approach – the Schroth method.

About the Schroth Method

The Schroth Method is unique to every person, which is why we instruct our patients on a one-on-one basis instead of working in groups. There are different exercises, so for each patient, our practitioners determine the treatment exercises based on the patient’s curve pattern. Not every exercise works for every person’s condition, which is why we must make sure that every patient receives a personalized treatment suitable for their condition.
In all exercises from the Schroth Method, patients assume a position in which the curves in the spine are held in a corrected postural position. The positioning of your arms is important to corrections of the thoracic and cervico-thoracic spine. While you’re holding the corrected postural position (which is the opposite of the scoliosis curves), you begin with the Schroth Method breathing, which means you’re directing breathing into the affected areas. Breathing in this manner helps in decreasing the rotation in the spine and improving rib mobilization and lung capacity.

The goals of the Schroth method

• Improve postural alignment
• Curve’s stabilization
• Mobilization of the stiff body parts
• Promotes correction
• Reduces pain
• Improves cardio-pulmonary function
• Enhances neuromusculoskeletal control.

The effort to re-balance your spinal musculature is not an easy task. Patience and dedication are required, but with little practice, the treatment becomes easier. Scoliosis is not something that can be endured, like puberty. Spinal curves can grow throughout adulthood and can cause body deformity, herniated disc, pinched nerves, muscle spasms, reduced lung capacity and mobility, and so on.

The Schroth Method is the right choice for those who want to avoid surgery. To learn more about Schroth method for scoliosis, visit our clinic and we’ll make an initial consultation with you.