Exercises may throw scoliosis a new curve

Physical therapy is rarely considered a first-line treatment option for scoliosis in the U.S. But some studies have shown that conservative, complementary therapies such as exercise shouldn't be ruled out. Parents, meanwhile, often want proactive steps they can take to avoid putting their child through surgery.

The Schroth Method, developed in Germany in the 1960s, involves working with a physical therapist and repeatedly performing curve-specific exercises while standing, sitting, lying down and hanging from a bar. It's a complex system of reprogramming the body into a symmetrical posture that requires hours of training.

"Does [physical therapy] help strengthen the spinal musculature and improve breathing capacity? It's possible," said Dr. Purnendu Gupta, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Chicago. But Gupta would like more data before he recommends it to a growing child.