The effectiveness of Schroth exercises in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Marlette Burger, Wilna Coetzee, Lenka Z du Plessis and 5 others
PMID 31206094WHAT IT FOUND
Supervised Schroth exercises reduced spinal curvature (Cobb angle) and improved quality of life versus observation, bracing or Pilates in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis.
The evidence came from four small trials, so confidence in the benefit is limited.
Key findings
01Four included randomised trials contributed 119 participants, with 67 in intervention groups and 52 in control groups.
02The Kim and Kuru trials showed significant Cobb angle differences favouring Schroth exercises at 12 or 24 weeks.
03Combined quality-of-life scores favoured Schroth exercises at 12 and 24 weeks.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only four randomised trials were included, and two reported different outcomes from the same cohort. The total sample was 119 participants. No trial could blind participants or therapists, and two did not blind outcome assessors. One trial did not conceal allocation, which may have introduced selection bias. The comparison was not one single treatment; it included observation, bracing, Pilates or no specific exercises, so the effect of any one component cannot be separated. Cobb angle results were not pooled because reporting differed too much. Only English papers were included. Follow-up was short, up to 24 weeks, and did not cover younger adolescents or longer-term outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that unsupervised home Schroth exercises alone are enough. In the Kuru trial, the home exercise group did not improve the Cobb angle and progressed similarly to the non-surgical group.