MD TESTIMONIAL ABOUT SCHROTH THERAPY:
“Having professional Schroth-trained therapists available to our nonoperative, preoperative and postoperative spinal deformity patients at the Och Spine Hospital has proven to be extremely beneficial. Their ability to provide this unique and respected therapy has improved our patient's understanding of their spinal deformity, and provided a means to optimize their spinal alignment, truncal posture and core muscle strength which undoubtedly has improvesd their outcomes. We are proud to have this specialized area of expertise available to our patients. Hagit is a terrific Schroth-based therapist”
Lawrence G. Lenke, MD
Surgeon-in-Chief
The Daniel and Jane Och Spine Hospital, New York-Presbyterian
Professor and Chief of Spinal Surgery
Chief of Spinal Deformity Surgery
Co-Director, Adult and Pediatric Comprehensive Spine Surgery Fellowship
Columbia University Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery
www.spinal-deformity-surgeon.com
"I feel very fortunate to have such a range of expertise in our Center for Conservative Care for Scoliosis. Working with such a passionate and skilled group of physical therapists has taught me so much about the complexities in nonoperative treatment of children with scoliosis. Our weekly meetings are a think tank where we explore issues ranging from best in class, "smart-braces" which respect 3 dimensional anatomy, to ways to foster patients' compliance with scoliosis specific physical therapy. This collaboration has resulted in a robust research program, including efforts to develop a best practice guideline for conservative care of adolescent scoliosis. This is really how multidisciplinary, family centric care should be."
Michael Vitale, MD MPH
Director
Center for Conservative Care for Scoliosis
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Columbia University Medical Center
“Having professional Schroth-trained therapists available to our nonoperative, preoperative and postoperative spinal deformity patients at the Och Spine Hospital has proven to be extremely beneficial. Their ability to provide this unique and respected therapy has improved our patient's understanding of their spinal deformity, and provided a means to optimize their spinal alignment, truncal posture and core muscle strength which undoubtedly has improvesd their outcomes. We are proud to have this specialized area of expertise available to our patients. Hagit is a terrific Schroth-based therapist”
Lawrence G. Lenke, MD
Surgeon-in-Chief
The Daniel and Jane Och Spine Hospital, New York-Presbyterian
Professor and Chief of Spinal Surgery
Chief of Spinal Deformity Surgery
Co-Director, Adult and Pediatric Comprehensive Spine Surgery Fellowship
Columbia University Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery
www.spinal-deformity-surgeon.com
"I feel very fortunate to have such a range of expertise in our Center for Conservative Care for Scoliosis. Working with such a passionate and skilled group of physical therapists has taught me so much about the complexities in nonoperative treatment of children with scoliosis. Our weekly meetings are a think tank where we explore issues ranging from best in class, "smart-braces" which respect 3 dimensional anatomy, to ways to foster patients' compliance with scoliosis specific physical therapy. This collaboration has resulted in a robust research program, including efforts to develop a best practice guideline for conservative care of adolescent scoliosis. This is really how multidisciplinary, family centric care should be."
Michael Vitale, MD MPH
Director
Center for Conservative Care for Scoliosis
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Columbia University Medical Center
Lourine, 71 Years old
In February 2019, a scoliosis doctor recommended spine surgery to keep my significant lumbar curve - 42 degree Cobb angle - from progressing. He said that surgery would probably bring down my chronic low back pain that ranged from 2-5 on a 10 point scale. But at 71 years of age, I instinctively knew that
surgery was not a sure thing. At that point, I heard about the Schroth method of physical therapy for the first time. I learned that this evidence-based method has been used throughout the developed world for a 100 years to keep people off the operating table - except for America. Crazy. And by God’s grace, I found Hagit! She was certifying people from all over the world in Schroth, and she had a private practice in NYC where I live. I had ten foundational sessions with Hagit to learn the basics of a set of Schroth exercises tailored to my curvature. She taught me about the basics about scoliosis and my curvature, rotations, etc. She gave me exercises to do each day to build on our sessions, with videos of each session to guide me into proper form. The first week my pain began to decrease! And my body began over time to look different - less leaning to the left, for example - as I learned her very specific postural adjustments when I sit, stand and walk. The deep breathing that is a key part of Schroth I found calming, and a motivator to be as present in other areas of my life in a new way. And with Hagit’s precise coaching, my brain is beginning to integrate and retain the postural adjustments with less conscious effort. I now check in with Hagit every couple of months to refine my exercises. In addition, with the help of a Physical Therapist and Pilates instructor Hagit has trained, I am learning how to adjust other fitness/strengthening exercises to my spine’s needs. In September 2019, my follow up x-ray showed not the 1-2 degree increase in curvature the doctor anticipated, but 1 degree straighter ! My pain level is now often at 0. If I am not mindful of my postural adjustments, it will go up, but only to a 2 max. The exhaustion I used to have with the chronic lower back pain is totally gone. In summary, I have my active life back. :) I see Schroth as a life-long addition to my life, with the surgery option closed. I think Hagit’s work and my progress in less than a year is in “miracle" category, and I will be forever grateful to have Hagit in my life! I should add that she has a most wonderful way of working with a client … she is very rigorous and precise, extraordinarily knowledgable about her craft (she does research also at Columbia University’s Spine Center, a first class ‘wonk’!) but she is also gentle and kind. That’s an unusual & and awesome combination in my experience. Lourine Clark, NYC, retired Executive Coach, October 2019 |