{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T03:21:33Z","timestamp":1792120893745,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"PeerJ","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]],"date-time":"2025-07-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751932800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) affects 2\u20133% of children aged 10 to 18 and can lead to both physical and psychological challenges. This review aims to evaluate the impact of Schroth exercises on Cobb angle, angle of trunk rotation, and quality of life in patients with AIS.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A comprehensive search was conducted across Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Cochrane Central, and\n                      <jats:uri xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" xlink:href=\"http:\/\/ClinicalTrials.gov\">ClinicalTrials.gov<\/jats:uri>\n                      databases, identifying 11 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a total of 446 participants. These studies, primarily conducted in Asia and North America, compared the effects of Schroth exercises with either no treatment or alternative physical exercise interventions (standard physiotherapy regimens or non-specific exercise-based rehabilitation programs). Data were pooled using a random-effects model, and the quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) approach.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Meta-analysis showed that Schroth exercises were associated with a significant reduction in Cobb angle (standardized mean difference (SMD): \u22120.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) [\u22120.81 to \u22120.27];\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &lt; 0.001). However, no significant effect was observed on the angle of trunk rotation (SMD: \u22120.90; 95% CI [\u22122.45 to 0.65];\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.254). A significant improvement in quality of life was also noted (SMD: 0.67; 95% CI [0.33\u20131.01];\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &lt; 0.001). The quality of evidence ranged from moderate to low.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Although Schroth exercises were associated with a reduction in Cobb angle, the average change did not meet the conventional five-degree threshold considered clinically significant, and the analysis did not account for the natural progression of spinal curvature. Rather than asserting a definitive benefit, this review highlights significant methodological limitations in the current literature.<\/jats:p>\n                    <jats:p>PROSPERO registration number: CRD42024505289.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.19639","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]],"date-time":"2025-07-08T04:32:28Z","timestamp":1751949148000},"page":"e19639","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Effectiveness of Schroth exercises for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.7717","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Yinfang","family":"Zhu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Caiying","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haiping","family":"Song","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Manyan","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"4443","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"203","DOI":"10.31616\/asj.2022.0162","article-title":"Does bracing control the progression of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in curves higher than 40\u00b0? A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"17","author":"Babaee","year":"2023","journal-title":"Asian Spine Journal"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"904","DOI":"10.4102\/sajp.v75i1.904","article-title":"The effectiveness of Schroth exercises in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"75","author":"Burger","year":"2019","journal-title":"The South African Journal of Physiotherapy"},{"issue":"2","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"228","DOI":"10.23736\/S1973-9087.23.07654-2","article-title":"The effectiveness of Schroth method in Cobb angle, quality of life and trunk rotation angle in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"59","author":"Ceballos-Laita","year":"2023","journal-title":"European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine"},{"issue":"76","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"ED000142","DOI":"10.1002\/14651858.ED000142","article-title":"Updated guidance for trusted systematic reviews: a new edition of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions","volume":"10","author":"Cumpston","year":"2019","journal-title":"The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews"},{"issue":"24","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16730","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph192416730","article-title":"Application of the Schroth method in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"19","author":"Dimitrijevi\u0107","year":"2022","journal-title":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"},{"issue":"12","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"965","DOI":"10.48048\/wjst.2019.4255","article-title":"Effects of three-dimension Schroth exercises and Kinesio taping on general mobility of vertebrae, angle of trunk rotation, muscle strength and endurance of trunk, and inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength in children with idiopathic scoliosis","volume":"16","author":"Duangkaew","year":"2019","journal-title":"Walailak Journal of Science and Technology (WJST)"},{"issue":"18","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5060","DOI":"10.1080\/09638288.2021.1922521","article-title":"The efficacy of Schroth exercises combined with the Ch\u00eaneau brace for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a retrospective controlled study","volume":"44","author":"Fang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Disability and Rehabilitation"},{"key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1097\/xeb.0000000000000141","article-title":"A new improved graphical and quantitative method for detecting bias in meta-analysis","volume":"203","author":"Furuya-Kanamori","year":"2018","journal-title":"International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare"},{"issue":"21","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2589","DOI":"10.1097\/CM9.0000000000001799","article-title":"Schroth exercises improve health-related quality of life and radiographic parameters in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients","volume":"134","author":"Gao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Chinese Medical Journal"},{"key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e404","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wneu.2018.12.106","article-title":"Back pain and outcomes of pregnancy after instrumented spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis","volume":"124","author":"Grabala","year":"2019","journal-title":"World Neurosurgery"},{"issue":"5","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"554","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bja.2019.08.015","article-title":"Use of the GRADE approach in systematic reviews and guidelines","volume":"123","author":"Granholm","year":"2019","journal-title":"British Journal of Anaesthesia"},{"issue":"6","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"364","DOI":"10.18857\/jkpt.2016.28.6.364","article-title":"Psychological and physical effects of schroth and pilates exercise on female high school students with idiopathic scoliosis","volume":"28","author":"HwangBo","year":"2016","journal-title":"The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy"},{"issue":"2","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.23736\/S1973-9087.24.08177-2","article-title":"Physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises (PSSE-Schroth) can reduce the risk for progression during early growth in curves below 25\u00b0: prospective control study","volume":"60","author":"Karavidas","year":"2024","journal-title":"European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1186\/1748-7161-9-16","article-title":"Supine to standing Cobb angle change in idiopathic scoliosis: the effect of endplate pre-selection","volume":"9","author":"Keenan","year":"2014","journal-title":"Scoliosis"},{"issue":"3","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1012","DOI":"10.1589\/jpts.28.1012","article-title":"Effects of Schroth and Pilates exercises on the Cobb angle and weight distribution of patients with scoliosis","volume":"28","author":"Kim","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Physical Therapy Science"},{"issue":"4","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0249492","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0249492","article-title":"The effectiveness of two different exercise approaches in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a single-blind, randomized-controlled trial","volume":"16","author":"Kocaman","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLOS ONE"},{"issue":"2","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1177\/0269215515575745","article-title":"The efficacy of three-dimensional Schroth exercises in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a randomised controlled clinical trial","volume":"30","author":"Kuru","year":"2015","journal-title":"Clinical Rehabilitation"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jspd.2018.05.004","article-title":"Do adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis have an erroneous perception of the gravitational vertical?","volume":"7","author":"Le Berre","year":"2019","journal-title":"Spine Deformity"},{"issue":"4","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"230","DOI":"10.14474\/ptrs.2020.9.4.230","article-title":"Effects of Schroth exercise therapy on curvature and body appearance of patients with lumbar idiopathic scoliosis","volume":"9","author":"Lee","year":"2020","journal-title":"Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science"},{"issue":"3","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"653","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13030653","article-title":"The improvement of trunk muscle endurance in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis treated with ScoliBrace\u00ae and the ScoliBalance\u00ae exercise approach","volume":"13","author":"Marchese","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Clinical Medicine"},{"issue":"18","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6063","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm12186063","article-title":"How Schroth therapists vary the implementation of Schroth worldwide for adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: a mixed methods study","volume":"12","author":"Marchese","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Clinical Medicine"},{"key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-22","article-title":"Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis","author":"Menger","year":"2024"},{"key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7717","DOI":"10.26355\/eurrev_202112_27618","article-title":"Impact of Schroth three-dimensional vs. proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a randomized controlled study","volume":"25","author":"Mohamed","year":"2021","journal-title":"European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1186\/s13013-018-0152-2","article-title":"2016 SOSORT guidelines: orthopaedic and rehabilitation treatment of idiopathic scoliosis during growth","volume":"13","author":"Negrini","year":"2018","journal-title":"Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders"},{"issue":"12","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0168746","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0168746","article-title":"Schroth physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises added to the standard of care lead to better cobb angle outcomes in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis-an assessor and statistician blinded randomized controlled trial","volume":"11","author":"Schreiber","year":"2016","journal-title":"PLOS ONE"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1186\/s13013-015-0048-5","article-title":"The effect of Schroth exercises added to the standard of care on the quality of life and muscle endurance in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis-an assessor and statistician blinded randomized controlled trial: \u201cSOSORT 2015 Award Winner\u201d","volume":"10","author":"Schreiber","year":"2015","journal-title":"Scoliosis"},{"issue":"6","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"954","DOI":"10.3390\/children10060954","article-title":"Schroth Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis-Specific Exercise (PSSE) trials-systematic review of methods and recommendations for future research","volume":"10","author":"Schreiber","year":"2023","journal-title":"Children"},{"issue":"15","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9240","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19159240","article-title":"Physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercise methodologies used for conservative treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and their effectiveness: an extended literature review of current research and practice","volume":"19","author":"Seleviciene","year":"2022","journal-title":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"},{"key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"l4898","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.l4898","article-title":"RoB 2: a revised tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials","volume":"366","author":"Sterne","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMJ (Clinical Research ed.)"},{"key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S44","DOI":"10.1097\/BPO.0000000000001350","article-title":"The natural history of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis","volume":"39","author":"Weinstein","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.7717\/peerj.19639\/ref-31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1186\/1748-7161-6-17","article-title":"The method of Katharina Schroth-history, principles and current development","volume":"6","author":"Weiss","year":"2011","journal-title":"Scoliosis"}],"container-title":["PeerJ"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/peerj.com\/articles\/19639.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/peerj.com\/articles\/19639.xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/peerj.com\/articles\/19639.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/peerj.com\/articles\/19639.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]],"date-time":"2025-07-08T04:32:31Z","timestamp":1751949151000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/peerj.com\/articles\/19639"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]]},"references-count":31,"alternative-id":["10.7717\/peerj.19639"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7717\/peerj.19639","archive":["CLOCKSS","LOCKSS","Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["2167-8359"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2167-8359","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]]},"article-number":"e19639"}}