March 4, 2020

A Brief History of the Schroth Method – Our Guide

At first, the idea of the Schroth Method may not ring as many bells as other traditional forms of scoliosis treatment that have been around for far longer. Nevertheless, it has been gaining even more prominence thanks to its higher success rates. As opposed to other forms of scoliosis treatments, the Schroth Method helps enable a long-term recovery without the need for invasive procedures and dependence on heavy medications. 

Now, as easy as it may be to see that the Schroth Method is an effective form of alternative treatment, there’s one part about it that most have yet to know: its history.

To better understand how significant the Schroth method is and how far it has come from its humble beginnings, let’s go over a brief overview of its history to this day: 

The humble beginnings of the Schroth Method

The earliest record of the Schroth Method being conceived can be traced all the way to 1921 in Dresden, Germany. It was a time when Katharina Schroth experimented with various exercises that would go on to be the method’s core procedures. 

In pursuit of a more functional, practical, and non-invasive form of treatment for her own case of scoliosis, Schroth decided to take some much-needed inspiration from the fluidity, adaptability, and form of a balloon. Based on her key observations taken, Schroth attempted to correct the structural abnormalities in her spine and trunk by literally breathing them away, effectively inflating the concavities in her body.

As soon as Schroth realized that her experimentations with breathing exercises began to pay off, she moved on to copying the intricacies of her deformities by applying pattern-specific corrective movements. Throughout the course of her experimentation with breathing exercises, over-corrective movements, and patterned routines, Schroth also learned that postural perception can aid in recovery.

The first iteration of the finished Schroth Method and its professional application

Once she had the framework of her treatment method laid out, Schroth had set up an institute in Meissen from the late ’30s to the early ’40s to treat those with varying degrees of scoliosis. Although the Schroth Method was initially unheard of, many patients came to seek a cheaper remedy and found success in the three key dimensions of the treatment: 

1. Specific postural correction
2. Correction of postural perception
3. Correction of breathing patterns for improved posture

Right after the Second World War, Schroth, and her daughter Christa, moved to West Germany and set up their institute in Sobernheim. This institute then went on to treat more than 150 in-patients every six weeks. 

Continuation by a second-generation Schroth: the late 80’s up to this day

After Katharina Schroth passed away in 1985, Christa went on to refine and improve the framework and treatment to create an iteration that would go on to be used until now. Today, the Schroth Method is carried out almost everywhere in the world from the headquarters at the Katharina Schroth Klinik to places such as Scolio Fit NYC in New York City.

If you’ve been looking for a scoliosis chiropractor in NYC, get in touch with us today to see how we can help!