Where It All Began
In the 1920s, German woman Katharina Schroth developed a revolutionary approach to treating her own scoliosis. Instead of relying on steel braces, she stood in front of a mirror and used breathing to “inflate” the sunken parts of her torso – like a balloon.
What she discovered changed scoliosis therapy forever:
“Posture can be changed only by changing posture perception.”
This idea became the foundation of the Schroth Method, a 3-dimensional, non-surgical treatment that combines:
- Targeted posture correction
- Pattern-specific breathing
- Awareness of body symmetry
A Family Legacy, A Global Method
Katharina’s daughter, Christa Lehnert-Schroth, expanded the method into a clinical system. She:
- Introduced the famous 4-curve classification
- Created group-based exercise programs
- Helped establish the Schroth Clinic in Germany, treating hundreds at a time
Their legacy turned a personal therapy into one of the most respected scoliosis treatments worldwide.
Schroth Today: Schroth Best Practice (SBP)
In the 21st century, the method evolved into Schroth Best Practice (SBP) – a streamlined, evidence-based version of the original therapy. It focuses on:
- Shorter, efficient programs (as little as 1 week)
- Daily posture training in real-life activities (ADL-based)
- Correction in all 3 planes – including the sagittal (front-back) alignment
Modern Schroth is no longer just a set of exercises – it’s a lifestyle correction approach that empowers patients to maintain spinal control throughout the day.
Source: Weiss, H.-R. (2011). The method of Katharina Schroth – history, principles and current development. Scoliosis, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-7161-6-17
