European scoliosis treatment getting attention in U.S.

European scoliosis treatment getting attention in U.S.

Two to three percent of the population is affected by scoliosis. That’s about 7 million people in the U.S., according to the National Scoliosis Foundation.

And now, the new Schroth method of treating the condition is getting attention.

This European exercise is used on children and adults to stop the effects of scoliosis, such as the recognizable spine curvature, pain, and poor posture.Becoming more attentive to your posture in relation to this exercise can help stop or delay future curving.

The Schroth method is used in many European countries but becoming more common in the U.S.

Scoliosis is defined as a spinal curvature that is more than 10 degrees sideways. The condition can develop from a traumatic incident, tumors, improper posture and family genetics, according to Dr. Kamal Ibrahim, pediatric-orthopedic surgeon at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois. But in more than 80 percent of cases, the cause is unknown, therefore it is referred to as idiopathic scoliosis.

The Schroth exercise includes a series of stretching, breathing, and spinal strengthening techniques that work against the direction of the curvature. The purpose is to re-train the brain so that it automatically corrects the posture and body movements on its own.

The stretches include moving the body in the opposite direction of the curve through stretching. Concentrating on breathing can help the process as well. Deep and rotational breathing techniques combined with the Schroth exercises can aid to your success.

Katharina Schroth created this method when she was impacted by scoliosis herself. Her condition became the experiment that lead to the discovery of this method.

Some physicians see promise in the method but say it’s too early to gauge the effectiveness.

“While there is no conclusive long-term studies as to its effectiveness, some preliminary data is promising,” says Dr. Michael R. Zindrick, an orthopedic surgeon at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois. “Time will tell if it is truly effective and which patients specifically will benefit from it.”

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Comments

4 Comments

  1. I would like to see a sample of the exercise. TIA

  2. Natalie Passarelli June 3, 2014 at 4:26 pm · Reply

    You can check out this website for more information and also step-by-step instructions on how to do the exercise. There are also pictures included!
    Website: http://schrothmethod.com/about

  3. I agree I found an article on https://scoliosiscarecenters.com/schroth-physiotherapy/ that supports the use of schroth physical therapy as an alternative to invasive treatment. The NCBI which is a reliable peer reviewed source of medical information released this study that also concludes that schroth physiotherapy is effective in correcting spinal curvature https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3847831/

  4. I am an 80 year old man with scoliosis! It never bothered me until the last several years, probably because I was very athletic and played lots of sports. I believe that with appropriate exercise and stretching (The Schroth Method) I could increase functionality, improve posture and reduce pain. Please advise the best clinics.

    Thank you very much.

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health enews Staff
health enews Staff

health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.