Schroth and Pilates Exercises in Idiopathic Adolescent Scoliosis

Overview

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common anomaly that is frequently seen in prepubertal growth and is characterized by deviation and rotation of the spine, causing high level of disability. Pubertal development and asymmetrical load distribution increase the progression of the deformity. Affecting the spinal structure and its movement can affect the structures and cause problems in many areas such as pain, balance, respiration, mental health and quality of life. AIS can cause functional disability by causing deterioration in chest wall mechanics, weakness in respiratory muscles and limitation of functional capacity. As the disease progresses, prolonged hypoinflation and atelectasis lead to irreversible atrophy of the lungs and further reduction in lung volume. Displacement and/or compression of the heart due to thoracic deformity may not allow for the required increase in stroke volume during exercise. In severe cases, patients are at risk of developing pulmonary hypertension due to chronic respiratory failure and chronic atelectasis, chronic hypoxemia, chronic hypercapnia. In addition, muscle atrophy and muscle weakness in AIS are thought to cause muscle imbalances and loss of balance. Exercise is the most appropriate treatment for low and moderate AIS cases due to its low cost and low risk of complications. Exercises prevent the development of many problems by controlling the severity of curvature and preventing the progression of curvature. It is thought that scoliosis exercises can delay or even prevent surgery and reduce the duration or degree of brace, especially in patients with low-to-moderate curvature during growth. One of these exercise approaches, the Schroth technique, is primarily based on isometric muscle contraction exercises that aim to rotate, lengthen and stabilize the spine. The core component of the Schroth method is autocorrection, defined as the patient's ability to reduce spinal deformity through active postural realignment of the spine in three dimensions. Another frequently used exercise method, Pilates exercise training improves flexibility and overall physical health by emphasizing the coordination of movements associated with strength, posture, and breathing. However, the effects of these exercises in reducing curvature and related problems are controversial in the literature. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of Schroth and pilates exercises on respiratory functions, functional capacity, balance, spine structure and quality of life in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. Thirty patients aged 10 to 18 years, with a Cobb angle between 10 and 25 degrees, will be included in the study. The subjects will be randomly divided into two groups; Schroth exercises will be applied to one group and pilates exercises will be applied to another group. All participants will participate in exercise sessions of 60 minutes a day, 3 days a week, for 8 weeks. Each participant will receive a total of 24 sessions of exercise therapy under the supervision of a physiotherapist. In this study, exercises that activate the muscle groups responsible for maintaining the correct posture and correcting the curvature will be selected for practice. Within the study, axial trunk rotation with a scoliometer, respiratory functions and respiratory muscle strength measurement with spirometry, functional capacity with the 6-minute walking test, balance with the Tecnobody balance measuring device, quality of life with Scoliosis will be assessed by the Research Society-22 Quality of Life Questionnaire. The results obtained from the study are of great importance as they will help to determine the effects of Schroth and pilates exercises on spinal deformity and the treatment of related problems in patients with AIS and to establish appropriate programs for the prevention and treatment of these problems.