Effects of the Schroth Method in Children With Idiopathic Scoliosis

Abstract

Scoliosis is a multifactorial three-dimensional (3D) spinal deformation which always includes elementary deformations on three planes: a lateral curvature on the frontal plane, loss of natural physiological curvature on the sagittal plane and, in most cases, increase of lordosis in the lumbosacral joint (hyperlordosis), and a (very typical) vertebral axial rotation on the horizontal plane. One of the best methods in scoliosis correction is the Schroth method. In view of the above, the objective of this study is to identify the effects of the Schroth method on correcting functional-motor status in children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (IS). The participant sample comprised 20 children, of an average age of 14.5, who took part in the 10-day Schroth Camp. The following measure instruments were used for the assessment of the effect of the Schroth method: the Sorensen test, the Sit-and-reach test, and height assessment. Statistically significant improvements were identified across the results of all three tests, for the Sorensen test: 45.6±19.29 s, the Sit-and-reach test: 4.05±2.25 cm, and height 1.4±0.66 cm. It can be concluded that the conducted Schroth method exercise program exerted a positive effect on improving motor functionality, as well as enhancing flexibility and isometric endurance of the lumbar extensors of the spine. Additionally, there was an increase in height, which indicates a positive effect in terms of the functionality and symmetry of the left and right sides of the body, and in terms of improved posture on the frontal and sagittal planes.

Postural status of the spinal column in young rhythmic gymnasts

“…Also, this is a discipline that abounds in pre-acrobatic elements (cartwheel, walkover forwards and backwards), full body waves (in the sagittal, but also in the frontal plane), for the successful implementation of which, without penalty, a great flexibility of all joints in the body is necessary, especially of the spinal column, mostly in the sagittal plane, which can affect the increase of curvatures, primarily in the lumbar part of the spinal column, but also the decrease of the curve in the thoracic part. It is in this research that kyphotic posture is the least prevalent among participants, although there are studies that show that this postural disorder is most prevalent among girls (Jorgić et al, 2015). To this conclusion also came Radaš & Trošt Bobić (2011) by comparing RGs and non-athletes, when a lower prevalence of kyphotic posture was determined in gymnasts, which suggests that this sports discipline can have a favorable effect to the absence of kyphosis, probably as a consequence of aesthetic requirements, which above all imply constant adoption of an elegant posture during execution of RG individual or group routines.…”

“…When the locations of the deviation in the sagittal plane are taken into account, the situation recorded in the RGs is as follows: normal body posture was recorded in 17 subjects (35.41%), flat back in the thoracic part in 11 of them (22.91%), and in the lumbar only in one (2.1%); a flat back in both thoracic and lumbar areas was found in one gymnast (2.1%), and kyphosis in combination with a flat back in the lumbar area was found in three RGs (6.3%); lordotic posture was present in 14 (29.2%) RGs, while kypholordosis was recorded in one girl (2.1%). When it comes to deviations of the spinal column in the frontal plane and their localization, the situation in 48 subjects is as follows: normal body posture was recorded in 11 posture, and only one thoracic right (2.1%); lumbar left scoliotic posture has one gymnast (2.1%), and lumbar right as many as 14 of them (29.2%); total left scoliotic posture was recorded in one subject (2.1%); duplex left-right scoliotic posture was found in 14 of them (29.2%), and duplex right-left in only one (2.1%).…”

The effects of aquatic exercise on motor skills and social behaviors in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A Systematic review

“…Since the basis of aquatic exercise in the aforementioned studies was the Hallwick method, it can be assumed that this method is also a safe and e cient program for children with ASD, as according to (Vodakova, 2022) it is safe for people of all ages and with many types of disabilities. The positive effects of the Halliwick method are realized thanks to the fact that this method represents a psychosensory motor learning process that is effective for people and children who need active motor learning or relearning in a "slow" medium that limits mechanical in uences (Jorgic, et al, 2014).…”