SchrothDC Has an App! Introducing ScoliFocus

Necessity is the mother of invention. 

Back in 2023, Eric Campesi started seeing gaps in our care of scoliosis and kyphosis patients.

Our amazing patients come armed with so many unanswered questions about living in a body with scoliosis: what exercises can I do? What exercises should I not do? How should I sleep? How should I sit? The list goes on and on and on…

Eric felt patients needed more than just the one-on-one Schroth Physical Therapy sessions we provide. Although we are grateful to be able to spend a full 50 minutes with each patient (opposed to the 30 minutes we were allowed when we worked for other clinics), 50 minutes if often not enough to cover additional topics like workouts for scoliosis, nutrition for scoliosis, and tips for living with scoliosis in general.

After some joint brainstorming sessions followed by a detailed outline of this additional toolkit we hoped to offer, Eric got to work programming workout plans based on each scoliotic curve type. This alone was a ton of work - there are 4 curve types plus kyphosis, and for each of the 4 curve types it can be either left or right sided, which means there’s actually 9 subtypes.

Then began the filming of each exercise, with meticulous editing of the videos and at times adding voice over. For the last year and a half, Eric has been nose-to-the-computer during any spare minutes of his life. And remember, we have 3 kiddos under the age of 5, so spare minutes are precious and rare at this time in our lives! I really am in awe of this dedicated effort and the beautiful product that it has brought forth: the ScoliFocus App! Now individuals with scoliosis and kyphosis can rest assured that these workouts are not only safe for them, but they were designed entirely for them.

Another gap: nutrition for scoliosis. There’s an alarmingly high rate of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis in the adult scoliotic and kyphotic population. One of my ultra-fit 42 year old patients who works out all the time was just diagnosed with Osteopenia – I was aghast. 

There’s a way to eat to support dense bones, and we should start eating this way long before we’re at risk for Osteopenia and Osteoporosis. We worked with Lauren Trocchio, a Board Certified Sports nutritionist in Arlington, VA, to develop nutritional guidelines for bone health. There’s evidence that Vitamins D and K are imperative for Calcium absorption, and that we need to get enough protein and Calcium from our diet to keep our bones strong. The next phase of the nutritional aspect of ScoliFocus is to add fun and tasty recipes that follow Lauren’s guidelines.

Another longer-term component of ScoliFocus will be on-demand workout videos, of various lengths, of Scoliosis-friendly yoga and Scoliosis-Friendly Pilates “classes”. This draws on my (Caroline’s) background in both of these practices. I’m excited and energized about this project and look forward to getting it started later this Spring.

We know motivation to do a physical therapy home exercise program can be difficult for many people. After being a therapist for 13 years and bumping into this countless times, I’ve come to think of it as part of the human experience – we all slack off in certain areas of our lives, be it exercise, relationships, work, chores, etc. Helping our patients get motivated to move more is high on our list, and we’re hoping ScoliFocus does just that.

Lastly, Schroth physical therapy has only been practiced in the United States since 2005. There are still many areas of the U.S. that are Schroth deserts. Even here in metropolitan Washington, DC, Eric and I are some of the only Schroth therapists. We have patients driving in to see us from all over Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, and a handful of patients who fly from Florida, Michigan, and Canada. We see ScoliFocus as a way to provide a continuum of care for those who don’t live close enough to come see us every week. We’re hoping to reach and help as many people with scoliosis and kyphosis as possible.

If you’re curious about this App, give it a try for free for 7 days. Search for ScoliFocus on your App store, poke around our new project, try a few workouts, and read up on the ins and outs of scoliosis. The sky is the limit for us, so we envision it becoming a place of empowerment, connection, and hope for those living with scoliosis and kyphosis.