Scoliosis Blog

History is not changed by situations or corporations but by individuals and their reactions to situations, positions or events. Katarina Schroth was an individual who decided to address a situation and developed her method accordingly. The method has been refined by other individuals and these individuals adapt and progress the method.

When I first encountred the Schroth method through Tamar Neuhouse of SOSORTshe mentioned that I should get in touch with Lou Ann Rivett who is a South African physiotherapist who treats scoliosis and had initially spent time with Tamar learning Schroth. Lou Ann and I communicated occasionally but things changed drastically when one of Lou Ann's patients moved to Sydney and requested that I assist with her scoliosis treatment.

Lou Ann's patient has a significant double major curve (greater than 50 degree) and is in a RSC brace which is based on the principles of Schroth. However her patients exercise program deviates from classic Schroth and hence our increase in communication.

Lou Ann was kind enough to allow me to spend a few days with her this week observing and trying to comprehend her approach to scoliosis management. She has developed an approach of treating scoliosis that would be applicable to the African continent where patients do not have the ability to spend significant time learning classic Schroth method. Additionally, she has the benefit of working closely with an orthotist trained to fit the RSC brace, which unfortunately we do not have in Australia. However, Jeb McIvenney has advised me that we will soon have access to the Gomez rigid bracing system. I also saw a night bracing system called the Providence Night Bracing system for "progressive" curves between 15 and 25 degrees.

Lou Ann is writing up her PhD thesis on her work and hopefully be publishing her work as soon as her thesis is over.