The effect of eight weeks Schroth corrective exercises and orthosis on dynamic balance in patients with idiopathic scoliosis

Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type of lateral spinal deformity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of eight weeks Schroth corrective exercises and orthosis on dynamic balance in patients with idiopathic scoliosis.

In this quasi-experimental study, 30 adolescent boys with idiopathic scoliosis with a cob angle of more than 10 degrees were randomly divided into three groups (n=10): exercise, orthosis, and control. Subjects in the Schroth exercise group performed selected corrective exercises 3 times a week for 8 weeks, the orthotic group used individually designed foot orthoses for at least 4 hours daily for 8 weeks, and the control group did not receive any special treatment. Y balance test was used before and after the intervention to evaluate the dynamic balance of individuals. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16 using analysis of covariance.

The results showed that after 8 weeks, the mean scores of dynamic balance in the exercise (99.38±7.11) and orthosis (98.13±4.22) groups were significantly higher than the control group (89.14±4.11) (P<.001), but no significant difference was observed between the orthosis and exercise groups (P=1.000).

According to the results, the Schroth corrective exercise program used in the present study and orthosis can be suggested to improve the dynamic balance of patients with idiopathic scoliosis. It seems that a combination of the two methods of Schroth corrective exercise and orthosis can benefit patients from both treatments.