Effects of a 3-week Schroth physiotherapy program on sagittal spinal alignment in girls with mild adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS): a pilot study

Introduction Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is commonly treated with physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises such as the Schroth method. However, evidence regarding the short-term effects on sagittal spinal alignment in patients with mild curves remains limited. Methods This prospective pilot study evaluated the effects of a 3-week Schroth physiotherapy program on sagittal spinal curvatures in girls with mild AIS (Cobb angle < 25°). Fourteen participants aged 10–16 years completed daily 45-minute supervised sessions. Thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and sacral slope were assessed using a Rippstein plurimeter before and after the intervention. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests depending on the distribution of differences. Results Thoracic kyphosis increased significantly from 14.29 ± 7.71° to 23.07 ± 6.41° (mean difference 8.79°, 95% CI 5.25–12.32; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 1.43). No statistically significant changes were observed in lumbar lordosis (p = 0.142) or sacral slope (p = 0.068; Holm-adjusted p = 0.136). Conclusions A short-term Schroth physiotherapy program may contribute to the normalisation of thoracic sagittal alignment in girls with mild AIS. Further controlled studies with larger samples are required to confirm these findings.