Research

Physical exercises in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis at risk of brace treatment – SOSORT consensus paper 2005

Hans-Rudolf Weiss^1* , Stefano Negrini^2* , Martha C Hawes^3* , Manuel Rigo⁴ , Tomasz Kotwicki⁵ , Theodoros B Grivas⁶ , Toru Maruyama⁷ and members of the SOSORT

¹  Asklepios Katharina Schroth Spinal Deformities Rehabilitation Centre, Bad Sobernheim, Germany

²  ISICO (Italian Scientific Spine Institute), Milan, Italy

³  University of Arizona, Tucson AZ 85721, USA

⁴  Instituto Èlena Salvá, Barcelona, Spain

⁵  University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland

⁶  Orthopaedic Department "Thriasion" General Hospital, Magula, Athens, Greece

⁷  Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan

author email corresponding author email* Contributed equally

Scoliosis 2006, 1:6doi:10.1186/1748-7161-1-6

Published:	11 May 2006

Abstract

Background

Based on a recognized need for research to examine the premise that nonsurgical approaches can be used effectively to treat signs and symptoms of scoliosis, a scientific society on scoliosis orthopaedic and rehabilitation treatment (SOSORT) was established in Barcelona in 2004. SOSORT has a primary goal of implementing multidisciplinary research to develop quantitative, objective data to address the role of conservative therapies in the treatment of scoliosis. This international working group of clinicians and scientists specializing in treatment of scoliosis met in Milan, Italy in January 2005.

Methods

As a baseline for developing a consensus for language and goals for proposed multicenter clinical studies, we developed questionnaires to examine current beliefs, before and after the meeting, regarding (1) the aims of physical exercises; (2) standards of treatment; and (3) the impact of such treatment performed by specialists in the field.

Results

The responses to the questionnaires show that, in principle, specialists in scoliosis physiotherapy do not disagree and that several features can be regarded, currently, as standard features in the rehabilitation of scoliosis patients. These features include autocorrection in 3D, training in ADL, stabilizing the corrected posture, and patient education.