An honest guide for parents: what scoliosis really is, why 6 to 12 sessions are not enough, how the Schroth method works and what to realistically expect until your child stops growing.
When a doctor tells you your child has scoliosis, it is natural to feel worried, confused, maybe even guilty. It is also natural to think: “We will do a bit of physiotherapy and it will be fine.” Here we tell you honestly what you need to know to make the right decisions.
Scoliosis is not “bad posture”, weak muscles or the result of a heavy school bag. It is a three-dimensional deformity of the spine: the back curves sideways, rotates and changes shape in three planes at once.
In most cases, idiopathic scoliosis, we do not know why it happens. It often appears in adolescence and can progress as the child grows.
Scoliosis is measured on an X-ray, using the Cobb angle in degrees. That angle, together with how much growing your child still has to do, decides whether physiotherapy is enough, whether a brace is needed or, rarely, surgery.
GESY covers a set number of physiotherapy sessions, and it is reasonable to assume that is enough to “fix” the problem. It is not. And it is not the system’s fault: it is the nature of the condition.
Success depends half on us and half on you and your child. It is not decided in the 45 minutes of a session.
Your child exercises every day. It is not optional: it is the core of the treatment.
The age the spine usually matures in girls, a little later in boys. Until then, scoliosis needs systematic monitoring.
If your child were short-sighted, you would not expect 6 visits to the eye doctor to “fix” their eyes. They would wear glasses, you would have them checked regularly and adjust as they grow. Exactly the same applies here.
Scoliosis is not “cured” like a sprain: it is managed, stabilised and, in good cases, improved. Anyone promising a quick “cure” in a few weeks is telling you what you want to hear, not what is true.
The Schroth method is a specialised physiotherapy approach developed specifically for scoliosis. It is not “back exercises”: it is a complete system of three-dimensional correction that teaches your child’s own body to resist the deformity.
Breathing directed into the “collapsed” areas of the ribcage, opening them from the inside.
Element 1Activating the muscles that support the spine in a better position.
Element 2Postures your child learns to bring into everyday life, so the correction does not stay in the clinic.
Element 3The guidelines of SOSORT, the international scientific society for the conservative treatment of scoliosis, recommend scoliosis-specific physiotherapy exercises. Schroth is among the best documented.
SOSORTAt our clinic the method is delivered by a therapist certified by ISST (International Schroth 3-dimensional Scoliosis Therapy). Schroth requires specific certification: correct execution is everything.
ISSTWe start with a full assessment, not a standard physiotherapy session, and build a programme for your child’s specific curve.
First stepScoliosis treatment is not a straight line. It is a journey in phases, each with its own role.
Your child learns the method: the basic corrective postures, correct breathing and body awareness. An intensive phase, typically 1 to 2 sessions a week. This is where the foundations of the whole treatment are built.
The exercises become part of the daily routine. Your child exercises every day at home. Clinic sessions become less frequent but continue for checks, adjustments and progressive difficulty.
The spine usually matures around 16–18 in girls and a little later in boys. Until then, scoliosis is “active” and needs systematic monitoring. After that, the picture stabilises considerably.
In scoliosis, success means a curve that does not increase and a child who lives and moves normally. In good cases, the curve improves.
We adjust session frequency to each child, depending on the angle, age and response to treatment.
Treatment does not happen in the 45 minutes of a session. It happens every day, at home, in your normal life.
Physiotherapy does not work alone. These are the limits set by the Cobb angle, and the signs that need a prompt call to your doctor.
With Cobb angles usually above 20–25 degrees in a child who is still growing, the orthopaedic surgeon may recommend a brace. It does not replace physiotherapy: the two work in parallel.
Usually from 20–25°Reserved for severe cases, usually angles above 45–50 degrees. Rare but real, and one of the main reasons early action matters so much.
Usually above 45–50°During growth, usually with an X-ray every 6 months, to check the curve is staying stable.
Every 6 monthsThe sooner the right treatment starts, the better the chances of a good result.
The sooner, the betterIf the angle is not increasing and your child keeps good function, treatment is doing its job. In scoliosis, stability is already success.
No need to worryChildren with scoliosis who received the right treatment become athletes, dancers, soldiers, parents. The condition does not define them.
A journey, not a disasterIt is the most common form of scoliosis: a three-dimensional deformity of the spine with no known cause. It usually appears in adolescence and can progress as the child grows.
No. Scoliosis is not caused by bad posture, weak muscles or a heavy bag. It is not your fault, and it is not your child’s.
A specialised physiotherapy method for scoliosis that combines specific breathing, targeted muscle activation and corrective postures in daily life. SOSORT guidelines recommend scoliosis-specific physiotherapy exercises, and Schroth is among the best documented.
Yes. The method is delivered by a therapist certified by ISST (International Schroth 3-dimensional Scoliosis Therapy).
No. Scoliosis is not corrected in a few sessions: it is managed and stabilised with time, consistency and daily home exercises until growth ends.
For the first 2–3 months, typically 1–2 sessions a week while your child learns the method. After that they become less frequent but continue for checks and progression, while your child exercises every day at home.
Usually when the Cobb angle is above 20–25 degrees in a child who is still growing. The decision is made by the orthopaedic surgeon. A brace does not replace physiotherapy: the two work in parallel.
Rarely, in severe cases, usually with angles above 45–50 degrees. That is why early monitoring and treatment matter so much.
All previous X-rays and medical reports. If you do not have an X-ray from the last 6 months, arrange one before you come.
Physiotherapy is covered by GESY with a referral, for a set number of sessions. For scoliosis these are rarely enough, so at the first assessment we explain what is covered and how we continue.
Early, correct intervention makes the biggest difference. Book a full assessment, not a standard physiotherapy session.
The Schroth method is delivered by a therapist certified by ISST, which trains therapists according to the Asklepios Katharina Schroth school.
We will not tell you what you want to hear. We will tell you what you need to know to make the right decisions.
Physiotherapy works alongside orthopaedic monitoring and, when needed, the brace.
Strovolou 51, close to Lakatamia, Strovolos, Dali and Latsia.