TREATMENT OF IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS WITH THE SCHROTH METHOD
The Schroth method is a physiotherapy method for the treatment of scoliosis and kyphosis. The technique is officially recognized by the international scientific community such as the
Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) and the Society On Scoliosis Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT).
The method aims at the three-dimensional correction of scoliosis, the self-elongation of the spine, as well as the maintenance of the corrected position during the day using the special
physiotherapeutic Scoliosis Specific Exercises (PSSEH).
The method is indicated for:
● exclusive treatment of scoliosis with less than 25 degrees
● combined treatment of scoliosis greater than 25 degrees, with the use of a brace in
children at the development phase.
● After surgery
At our physiotherapy clinic we treat cases with scoliosis and kyphosis using the specialised physiotherapy exercises for the specific spinal condition. We have Schroth certified staff from
the Barcelona Scoliosis Physical Therapy School (BSPTS) offering personalized assessment and treatment.
What does the first session include?
In the first session, a detailed evaluation is performed, which includes the measurement of the x-ray and the clinical examination.
The treatment plan is then defined with the special physiotherapy exercises adapted to the type of bulge and advice is provided on the posture that the person should adopt for the rest
of the day.
Chronology
The method was discovered by the German Katharina Schroth in 1921. Schroth suffered from scoliosis and apart from using the brace, she developed a system of exercises adapted to
herself. She was initially inspired by a balloon through which she imagined the expansion of the compressed hollow part in her body and then with the use of a mirror she developed
corrective exercises improving her posture.
The treatment initially took place at her institute in Meissen. In the late 1930s she had the help of her daughter Christa Schroth, who later further developed the technique. Some years
later they moved to and opened a new center in Bad-Sobernheim, which was constantly growing to evolve into a clinic that could accommodate up to 150 patients at a time,
receiving treatment for 6 weeks.
Katharina Schroth’s grandson, Dr Hans Rudolf Weiss, who was the director of the clinic in Bad-Sobernheim for 20 years, and Dr. Manuel Rigo, a Spanish doctor who was trained in
Germany and continued his work, contributed significantly to the development of Schroth’s original method. in, while he became the first to teach the method outside Germany.
Today, the Asklepios Klinik in Bad-Sobernheim, as it was named after its acquisition in 2007, accommodates up to 180 patients of all ages, who receive treatment for 4 weeks.
References
● Weiss HR, The method of Katharina Schroth – history, principles and current
development. Scoliosis 2011, 6:17
● History of the Schroth-based method and its acceptance in the USA.
● Lehnert-Schroth C : Three-Dimensional Treatment for Scoliosis. The Martindale
Press; 2007
