The Schroth Method is a specialized form of physical therapy designed specifically for individuals with scoliosis — addressing the spine as a three-dimensional condition involving sideways curvature, rotation, and changes in normal alignment.
Scoliosis Physical Therapy
The Schroth Method
WHAT SETS us APART
A Three-Dimensional Approach
Unlike traditional approaches that focus mainly on general strength and flexibility, the Schroth Method uses physical therapy scoliosis-specific exercises (PSSE) to help patients actively correct their posture, improve muscle balance, and develop greater awareness of their spinal alignment in everyday activities.
THE CORE OF SCHROTH THERAPY
Individualized Self-Correction
Through targeted exercises, breathing strategies, and postural education, patients learn how to stabilize their spinal curves and reduce asymmetrical loading on the spine. PSSE — including the Schroth Method — is one of the few physical therapy approaches supported by research to help stabilize scoliosis curves and improve function for both adolescents and adults.
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Through a combination of mirror-guided movement awareness, rotational angular breathing, and muscle activation exercises tailored to each patient's unique curve pattern, Schroth therapy teaches the body to actively elongate, detort, and realign the spine in three dimensions. Training patients to carry these corrections into their daily posture and movement habits.
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By correcting the asymmetrical muscle imbalances that cause uneven loading and compression along the spine, Schroth therapy reduces the mechanical stress at the root of scoliosis-related pain, teaching patients to actively decompress overloaded areas through targeted elongation, postural realignment, and rotational breathing techniques that bring lasting relief into everyday movement.
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Using curve-pattern-specific exercises, patients learn to selectively shorten overactive muscles on the convex side of the spine while lengthening and activating the weaker muscles on the concave side, building the precise neuromuscular balance needed to actively hold the spine in a more corrected position and resist further curve progression over time.
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Beyond the treatment session, Schroth therapy teaches patients how to carry their spinal corrections into everyday life. Coaching patients on how to sit, stand, bend, and lift in ways that minimize asymmetrical loading on the spine, so that the postural habits built during exercise gradually become second nature in all daily activities.
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Because scoliosis often intersects with complex neurological, orthopedic, and pain-related concerns, Schroth-certified physical therapists work closely with neurologists, pain management specialists, orthotists, and other providers. Sharing progress, aligning treatment goals, and ensuring that each patient's physical therapy plan complements and enhances the broader medical care they are receiving.
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When bracing is recommended as part of a patient's scoliosis management plan, your therapist will work hand-in-hand with local orthotists to ensure the custom brace and the exercise program reinforce one another.
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As a committed advocate for scoliosis patients, Erin works to ensure each individual fully understands their diagnosis, empowering them with the knowledge, confidence, and resources to actively participate in their own care decisions and navigate the healthcare system with a strong, informed voice.
Erin Blakley, PT, DPT, OCS, Rigo Concept-BSPTS
Physical Therapist, Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, Scoliosis Specialist
Erin has advanced training in the treatment of adolescent and adult scoliosis. She is trained by the Barcelona Scoliosis Physical Therapy School (BSPTS) in physiotherapy scoliosis specific exercises (PSSE), more commonly known as ‘Schroth’ therapy. This type of physical therapy is different, as it takes into consideration the three-dimensional components of scoliosis, teaching self-correction with the aim to stabilize and improve spinal alignment. PSSE is one of the only research-backed physical therapy techniques shown to stabilize the curve and improve quality of life.
Scoliosis Physical Therapy Schroth Method is available at our Hayden location
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Standard air carries only about 21% oxygen, but inside a hardshell hyperbaric chamber, patients breathe near-pure oxygen through a nasal cannula at close to 100% concentration. This dramatic increase allows the respiratory system to absorb oxygen at levels far beyond what is possible under normal conditions, rapidly elevating oxygen saturation throughout the entire body and setting the foundation for accelerated healing and recovery.
The hardshell chamber operates at air pressure significantly greater than what we experience at sea level, and this elevated pressure is what makes hyperbaric therapy truly unique. Under these conditions, oxygen dissolves directly into the blood plasma rather than relying solely on red blood cells for transport, allowing it to penetrate deeper into tissues, organs, and areas of the body with compromised circulation. This process also triggers the growth of new blood vessels, ensuring that oxygen-starved and injured areas of the body receive the supply they need to begin healing.
With oxygen-saturated blood now reaching even the most damaged and oxygen-deprived tissues in the body, the conditions for powerful and accelerated healing are fully in place. Inflammation and swelling are reduced, immune function is strengthened, and white blood cells become significantly more effective at fighting infection and clearing damaged cells. At the same time, the body ramps up the production of new blood vessels, collagen, and skin cells, creating an internal environment where repair happens faster, more completely, and more efficiently than the body could achieve on its own.