FAQS

The first session is scheduled for 80 minutes, during which we review medical history, look at x-rays, take pictures of the spine against the posture grid, and discuss asymmetries caused by scoliosis. If appropriate, a general orthopedic and brief neurological screening will be conducted to address the body as a whole.

We also initiate specific Schroth therapy exercises during the first session and discuss how to execute these exercises at home.

We recommend patients attend Schroth therapy 1-2 times per week - In the beginning, consistency is key!  This ensures proper learning of the techniques and helps you gain a basic understanding of the exercises and how to set them up.  We will continue our weekly sessions until both patient and therapist feel confident about the patient’s ability to replicate the program at home. 

(FYI: For those traveling from a distance, we offer 80+ minute sessions to minimize travel time.  This may allow for bi-weekly sessions rather than weekly.)

Early sessions are crucial for honing alignment and breath control. As sessions progress, you'll notice improvements in these areas along with increased body awareness. Once you've reached this level, we encourage you to set up the exercises independently, demonstrating both independence and compliance. Continued sessions are beneficial, but we also aim to empower you to practice at home.

Pain and symptoms related to your condition may necessitate additional visits.  We'll help determine if your scoliosis is a contributing factor or if other issues are at play, and make appropriate referrals to other medical specialists when needed. 

Active teens and adults in the DMV area often experience garden-variety aches and pains in the shoulders, hips, and knees, which can affect performance.  For example, one arm might lag during a bench press or overhead press, or you might struggle with ballet postures or sports moves. The curvature of your spine could be impacting these activities, or there may be other underlying causes. We're here to help you figure that out.

As pain is reduced or eliminated, and patients become proficient in the Schroth methodology, we begin to taper appointments.  Weekly sessions move to bi-weekly sessions.

Long-term, we recommend “check-in” appointments.   The frequency of a check-in depends on the patient, and can be done in person or virtually.  Some of our patients prefer to be seen bi-weekly for years, others prefer a monthly or quarterly check-in.  These long term follow-ups ensure continuity, high quality exercise and monitoring of your spine and posture. Scoliosis is a lifelong journey.  Staying connected to Schroth ensures the maintenance of the health and integrity of your spine.

To support you along the way, we've developed the Schroth DC App featuring scoliosis-safe exercises, programming, on-demand videos, and continually updated resources to assist you.

The spine should be exposed as much as possible. We ask that females wear either a sports bra or bathing suit top and that males be shirtless. Athletic pants or shorts are appropriate for all. No shoes or socks are required.

As of July 1, 2023 the state of Virginia no longer requires a doctor’s prescription for physical therapy or dry needling. This is referred to as Direct Access and you are welcome to initiate therapy at your convenience.

For adults, yes, an x-ray is required before initiating Schroth therapy.

An x-ray is not required for adolescents but is highly recommended. It is best to email your x-rays to us before your first appointment.

You must have a prescription from a physician in order to have an X-ray taken. This prescription can come from a primary care physician, specialist, chiropractor, or dentist.

The desired type of X-ray is called a scoliosis study, which is a “Radiologic Exam, Spine, Entire, 2 or 3 views”. The Procedural Code (CPT) is 72082. We prefer at least 2 views: lateral/sagittal and Anterior-Posterior (AP).

For pre-teens and teenagers, we also request a Bone Age Study, Hand, 1 View, CPT code 77072 to determine the level of skeletal maturity (we call this a Sanders Score).

For those who are braced, the in-brace X-ray can be a helpful determinant of brace correction quality and fit.

If a leg length discrepancy is suspected, we may ask that you have a Bone Length Study X-ray done, CPT code 77073.

These X-rays can be performed at most large Radiology facilities. National Scoliosis Center has the capability to take low-dose radiation X-rays on-site via their EOS x-ray machine. Please contact them directly for scheduling and pricing (703) 849-8808.

We are out-of-network with all insurances. If you have out-of-network physical therapy benefits, you are eligible to be reimbursed by your health insurance company directly for your Schroth therapy sessions. We will provide itemized receipts for this purpose.

To learn more about how out-of-network benefits work, read our blog post: Decoding Out-Of-Network Insurance Benefits.

If a Medicare beneficiary wishes to pay directly for care from a physical therapy provider such as Schroth DC that has no relationship with Medicare, they must, of their own free will, request, under the HIPAA privacy act, that no information about their care be shared with Medicare or any secondary insurance that would cooperate with Medicare.  For Medicare beneficiaries who would like to exercise this option, we have consent forms available for that election.  Please note that there will be no option for Medicare beneficiaries to receive, through Medicare nor through secondary insurance, any reimbursement for costs associated with care at Schroth DC.

In other words, if you’re a Medicare beneficiary and are adamant about seeing us for your care even though we are not participating Medicare providers, we can help … However, the only way we can provide you with PT services is when you truly don’t want Medicare involved and you ask up front that Medicare not be billed or involved in your physical therapy care.

Cash, check, Venmo or Zelle. An additional 3% processing fee will be added to all credit card transactions.

For regularly scheduled appointments (80 minutes or less):

Patients may cancel or change their appointment up to 48 hours prior to their scheduled appointment. We have a strict cancellation fee since other patients could not be scheduled during the time blocked off for you. If less than 48 hours is given, or you no-show for your scheduled appointment, you will be charged in full for the session to the credit card on file.

For Semi-Intensives (2-3 hour Appointments):

Patients may cancel or change their appointment up to 1 week prior to their scheduled appointment. We have a strict cancellation fee since other patients could not be scheduled during the time blocked off for you. If less than 1 week is given, or you no-show for your scheduled appointment, you will be charged in full for the session to the credit card on file.

For Intensives (3+ hour appointments):

Patients may cancel or change their Intensives up to 1 month prior to their scheduled appointment. We have a strict cancellation fee since other patients could not be scheduled during the time blocked off for you. If less than 1 month is given, or you no-show for your scheduled appointment, you will be charged in full for the session to the credit card on file.

Yes, all Schroth exercises can be replicated at home using equipment that can be easily acquired. As a convenience, we carry and sell most of the Schroth products to help you with immediate set-up and success at home. These include Schroth rice bags, traction & fabric belts, yoga blocks, wooden dowels, stretch straps, door anchors, and bands. Some patients will elect to purchase Schroth ladders for home use, which we are happy to help select for you.