A Life Resurrected via the Schroth Method (and the McKenzie Method): Cathy’s Story
Back in the Fall of 2022, I got a slightly frantic call from my mom’s cousin, Cathy. A kind-hearted, youthful, cheerful, active woman in her 60’s who you would never believe was in her 60’s, was all of a sudden in bad shape. Pretty much confined to her couch with crippling back pain, she had spoken to my mom about her condition and recent diagnoses of scoliosis, osteoporosis, stenosis throughout her lumbar spine, plus two bulging discs. My mom told her that Eric and I specialized in the Schroth Method which is scoliosis-specific physical therapy, and thus the phone call 2.5 years ago that set Cathy on a healing, life-changing-in-the-best-possible-way, journey.
Cathy’s story begins likely as most people’s back pain stories begin. A lifelong desk worker, Cathy finished up a workday consisting of sitting at a computer for 8 hours in the Spring of 2022. Heading outside to get on her bike for her evening cycle, the blowing winds of New England springtime stopped her, and she opted to help her husband in the garden instead. The first weed she pulled out of the ground that night was unfortunately the beginning of a very painful year of low back pain.
How do we explain this as Physical Therapists? A measly weed did that much damage to Cathy’s spine? The old adage “the straw that broke the camel’s back” is a helpful analogy. Osteoporosis and spinal degeneration are silent processes that are unfolding inside of us in the second half of our lives. Prolonged postures, such as sitting at a desk for 8 hours, 5 days a week, for 4 decades, change the structure and balance of our muscles and fascia – these tissues adapt, often shortening and weakening. In short, this weed injury was a long time coming. We can’t entirely blame the weed.
After pulling that weed, Cathy could not stand up straight due to severe low back pain. She saw her primary care physician, got an x-ray, and was shipped off to Chiropratic care. There, unfortunately her symptoms got worse. In addition to not being able to stand up straight, she then couldn’t sit up straight, nor get any quality sleep because of the pain – hence her couch-bound-ness when I first connected with her.
Cathy’s adult son Andrew, smelling something fishy, accompanied her to one of her Chiropractic appointments, and was appalled when the Chiropractor would counter Cathy’s statements about her worsening symptoms with an offer to sell her a massage roller, freezing spray, or icy hot from his practice. Afterward, Andrew said, “Mom, he is not listening to you, and you are never going back there.” (Thank God for conscientious family members who advocate for us!)
Next up: a lumbar MRI revealing the stenosis and bulging discs. Cathy met with an Orthopedist to discuss the results who gruffly said “You have a very bad back, and you’re not even a candidate for surgery, so all I can offer you is steroid injections into your lumbar spine.” She left that appointment feeling dismissed, disappointed, and doubtful that she would get better.
This is my brief but important entrance into Cathy’s story: after learning about the Schroth Method from my mom and I, even in the terrible condition she was in, Cathy, who resides in Connecticut, was ready to get on a plane, train, or whatever vehicle would take her here to Northern Virginia to get treatment with us. I assured her I could find her a Schroth therapist closer to home, whom she could meet with regularly to heal and recover in the long term. I gave her the name of a woman who runs a Schroth clinic about an hour from Cathy’s house in Connecticut, Gail Fennell, who I was lucky enough to have as an instructor during my first Schroth course. After hearing Cathy lived an hour from her clinic, Gail’s team kindly referred her to another therapist closer to home, Naga Vemparala.
Naga, whom I do not know personally, deserves a medal. He evaluated Cathy in October 2022, months into her painful debacle. He politely told her she was not ready for Schroth, but she should start the McKenzie Method immediately to decrease her pain and prepare her for Schroth. The McKenzie Method was developed by New Zealand Physiotherapist Robin McKenzie 60 years ago. The hallmark of this method is spinal extension, or back-bending, to relieve discogenic low back pain.
Naga advised Cathy not to get the steroid injections, as they could potentially help with pain, but wouldn’t solve the underlying issues. Instead, he asked her to do a classic McKenzie exercise, the Prone Press-Up, 10-12 times per day, plus in-person physical therapy visits with him 3 times per week during which he would do various hands-on therapies. After just 5 weeks of PT plus religiously getting on the floor to do her Prone Press Ups 10-12 times per day (Cathy is diligent), she was standing up straight, sleeping well at night, and able to walk without pain. The only position that still caused pain was sitting (very typical of discogenic low back pain).
Naga deemed Cathy ready to start Schroth, which only boosted her recovery. Her brother-in-law Peter, a skilled woodworker, built Cathy a Schroth ladder and installed it in her house. She began hanging every day and doing some of the Schroth mat exercises using the traction belt.
She bought a McKenzie lumbar roll (a cylindrical pillow that fits perfectly in the small of the back to maintain the low back’s natural shape) to use while sitting, and began to tolerate sitting without flaring up her symptoms for the first time since her injury (We love lumbar rolls here at SchrothDC and recommend them all the time to our patients with lumbar scoliosis FYI.)
Other helpful changes, recommended by Naga in accordance with McKenzie and Schroth principles, included buying a standing desk for work and sleeping with a folded hand towel under her low back at night.
About a year after original injury, Cathy was back to her old self – standing up straight without any pain, cycling 100 miles per week, working full-time from her standing desk, and likely avoiding eye contact with any and all weeds in her garden.
Although it’s now been 3 years since her injury and 2 years since she fully recovered from it, Cathy faithfully hangs on her Schroth ladder and does a few Prone Press Ups each day. She lives life without any physical limitations. She became a grandmother for the first time. She’ll travel to Montana this Fall to visit her daughter and hike in the National Parks. At 68, she’s back to living her best life.
I wanted to tell this story for so many reasons, but the most important one is to reach those who may currently be suffering, and to let them know there is hope in conservative scoliosis treatment. The body is capable of healing, often without injections or surgery. If you are in pain and need help, please consider connecting with a local Schroth Physical Therapist, listed by state in this directory. We are rooting for you.