Exploring the Lived Experiences of Schroth Method Instructors: A Preliminary Hermeneutic Phenomenological Analysis

The Schroth method is a specialised, non-surgical physiotherapeutic approach used in the conservative management of idiopathic scoliosis. Existing research has focused mainly on clinical effectiveness, while less attention has been paid to how Schroth method instructors experience assessment and treatment in practice. The aim of this paper was to explore the lived experiences of Schroth method instructors in their assessment and treatment of adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis through a preliminary hermeneutic phenomenological analysis. Seven certified Schroth method instructors were recruited internationally and participated in semi structured online interviews exploring assessment, treatment, home exercises, and integration with bracing. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and interpreted using a hermeneutic phenomenological framework informed by Fleming et al. and Ajjawi and Higgs. Four preliminary themes were identified: the therapeutic relationship as the foundation of practice, adapting a complex method to the individual without compromising safety, adherence as shared work beyond the clinic, and bracing as integral to care but shaped by fragmented multidisciplinary systems. These findings suggest that the lived experience of Schroth instruction is not only technical, but also relational, pedagogical, and system dependent.