Living with Scoliosis - Testimonials

I do not write that lightly, but with every shred of sincerity and authenticity I have.

Some three years ago, delving a little deeper into what may be causing my lower back pain, x-rays and an MRI revealed that I had a lumbar scoliosis with some spinal degeneration. However, I had no idea until I attended the Scoliosis Therapy Centre, as Malcolm’s patient, that my scoliosis had begun when I was young, before I was a teenager. This came as a shock and I found myself wondering how I never knew this before. Now age 57, recent x-rays have confirmed the scoliosis in my lumbar spine has progressed to 38°, and its degenerative. 

I have always been a very active person, years of Shukokai Karate (black belt), Bikram yoga, and competitive weight lifting, even into my early fifties. To be honest, my lower back was mostly sore and uncomfortable, but I just cracked on with life, doing the things I was passionate about. In hindsight, I now realise that this had way more to do with my mental state than my physical one. I just kept pushing past my limits.

My husband and I have a farm; we are full time sheep and olive farmers, so there is always a lot of physical work to be done in managing our sheep and large olive grove. As with my physical vocational interests, I’ve just thrown myself into a litany of every day farm jobs, always needing to be done. But In doing so, ignoring the wear and tear on my body, that is, until a few weeks ago. I made a conscious decision that I no longer wanted to begin each morning in bed with a heat pack to alleviate my chronic lower back pain. I knew I had to find a solution but wasn’t sure where to begin my search.

The first time I heard of the Schroth Method was from my husband who read a book called ‘Breath’ by James Nestor. He was always searching for ways to help me with my back pain and I thought this sounded good. So, it was his idea, he made this happen for me and I will be forever grateful.

I had very little idea what to expect and would never have believed, not only what I would discover, but how incredible the results have been for me, after just one week of customised Schroth exercises. The before and after photos were jaw dropping in terms of my posture and ability to stand up tall, and equally so, to be pain free. I feel now, I have a ‘road map’ which takes me out of the darkness of chronic pain to a place where I can take back control of my body.

Learning the Schroth Method and understanding how to approach activities in every day living, in a more conscious and comfortable way, I believe has improved my life and mindset no end. Malcolm not only helped me to find a way forward, but he also encouraged me to prioritise my wellbeing - to take care of the body I live in, and not punish it, as I have done in my life until recently.

On my return home, my husband and I turned our TV room into my training room for my weekly Schroth exercise program.

Thank you, Malcolm, for giving me back my life, my power and my strength. You will always have my gratitude.

I was first diagnosed with scoliosis as a teenager in South Africa. At the time, I was told there was nothing that could be done except physiotherapy. With no real treatment options offered, I simply got on with life. But as the years passed, my curve worsened. In my late thirties, it had progressed from 27 to 37 degrees in just two years - and the back pain was almost unbearable without daily medication. 

By the time I turned 39 years old, I knew I had to take action. I spent weeks researching available options, and that's when I found Malcolm and the Scoliosis Therapy Centre. Completing the 6-day Schroth treatment with Malcolm has been nothing short of life-changing. It’s been three months since I finished the program, and I feel like a completely different person - physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Before meeting Malcolm, I carried a heavy sense of hopelessness and self-pity about my scoliosis. But through his guidance, I’ve gained something I never had before: hope. For the first time, someone took the time to explain what was happening in my body. No doctor, physiotherapist, or chiropractor had ever done that. Malcolm educated me about my specific type of scoliosis and gave me practical, empowering tools to manage it and reduce my pain.

The treatment has dramatically improved my quality of life. I now understand my body, I feel stronger, and I no longer live in fear of my condition. I highly recommend anyone with scoliosis to invest in learning about their spine and take control of their journey.

There is so much you can do to avoid surgery and live a better, more informed life - and in my opinion, this Scoliosis Therapy Center is a fantastic place to start.

Since around 12 years old, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. Doctors in the UK offered to operate but my parents thought it was too risky. I lived with this deformity and hid it well for many years until I was ready to look at it in my 30s...Delving deep into yoga, meditation and touching upon reiki, acupuncture, mind training, craniosacral therapy, breath work, spiritual healing and more. Turning to God and becoming Catholic has been the greatest motivation in aligning my spine and feeling my body.

Wanting to become a healthy mother helped me find Malcolm’s retreat - the most specific and intensive scoliosis program I have found, targeting and tailored to my spine.

It is a big expense for me but worth it has provided me with lifelong training on how to stand, sit, walk, sleep, move and breath to best de-rotate my body. The manual of exercises are much easier to do at home and whilst travelling than expected, even with the exercise aids I have to carry with me. And, the detailed information provided helps to easily refresh and come back to the exercises, even when life gets in the way of the 4 x a week regimen.

I know it will be a lifelong journey to maintain focus, strength and commitment to improve my condition. But with Malcolm's instruction and program, I feel I have done all I can to give myself and those I love the best chance that I can have a healthy life and pregnancy in future.

Hi there, I am 45 years old and live with scoliosis. I was first diagnosed when I was 13. At that time the only treatment available to me was bracing, which was pretty rudimentary...I wore a brace every day until I stopped growing. Physically and emotionally this was extremely challenging, especially so since it did not improve my scoliosis.

Over the years I have had numerous appointments with various health practitioners none of whom have been able to help me improve my condition.

Worried my scoliosis would continue to progress with age, last year I saw an Orthopaedic Specialist. However, this only served to increase my level of anxiety as I was informed my scoliosis was severe and I required surgery. Financially and emotionally this was not a viable option for me.

So, I continued to research via the internet for alternative treatment options and found the Scoliosis Therapy Centre. I spoke to Malcolm who explained how Schroth scoliosis exercise therapy could help improve my quality of life. Then, after speaking with one his patients I registered for a 6 Day Schroth Program.

As I’m not the most co-ordinated person, I found the first day’s sessions daunting and wondered if I could cope. However, Malcolm quickly allayed my concerns through his patience and total focus on helping me with a Schroth Program of scoliosis exercise therapy, customized to my needs.

I can confidently say that my Schroth Program experience has been a life-changer for me. My entire thinking has shifted. I now see my scoliosis in a more positive light, rather than a negative one, driven by anxiety that surgery was my only treatment option.

With the knowledge I have gained together with a Schroth home exercise program, tailored to my needs, I have taken back control of my own wellbeing, something I have wanted to do for the past 30 years.

Without hesitation, I can highly recommend Malcolm and the 6 day Schroth Program.

 I am 55 years old and have a double scoliosis. My Schroth 3D (ISST) Program gave me hope for a brighter future. Spending six immersive days with one on one tutoring from Malcolm was life changing. He reviewed all my scans and developed a bespoke program for me to follow from home.

I was convinced that surgery was the only option for me and that without it I would live with pain, curvature progression and mobility issues. However Malcolm coached me in techniques to help me move through each day’s activities without severe pain and restricted movement. I was reassured, and for the first time was able to understand what is going on inside my body - due to my scoliosis. I came away with the knowledge and skills to take back control over my scoliosis. I now feel empowered.

The Schroth 3D (ISST) Method requires discipline and lifelong commitment, but I am confident that it will stop further deterioration of my condition and therefore the need for spinal fusion surgery.

Malcolm truly cares and is an expert practitioner with a gift for teaching. He goes above and beyond to ensure you are equipped with the knowledge and tools to live a better life and put a stop to the constant expensive cycle of medical appointments and treatments that in my case have not helped.

My Schroth program is the first time I have received a true education and a new awareness of how my habitual posture was contributing to my pain and curvature progression.  After completing the program I am able to walk, sit, stand and sleep so much more comfortably.

Hi, I am 44 years old and have a severe S curve scoliosis with a 50 degrees curve in my left lumbar spine and a 40 degrees curve in my right thoracic spine...I only discovered my scoliosis a few years ago. In my adult years, both curves continued to progress to the level they are today. My scoliosis had never really troubled me majorly, so I did nothing about it, though that was until recently. In the past year, my lower back pain has been excruciating to an almost unmanageable degree, where at times, I could not even walk or sit.

For me, random physiotherapy sessions and popping painkillers had become the norm. My pain became chronic and debilitating and my quality of life poor. I realized I needed to change the situation, so I signed up on all the available scoliosis user group pages I could find and tried to gather as much information as possible. I came across a post by Robin Chee regarding a Certified ISST Schroth Therapist in Australia, Malcolm Boulter who trained at the Asklepios-Katharina Schroth Klinik in Bad Sobernheim, Germany. He has been practicing in the Schroth Method of 3D exercise therapy since 2008.

I quickly did some reference calls to scoliosis patients here in Singapore whom he had treated. They all had only positive things to say about their treatment. In a brief zoom with me and husband, Malcolm helped us understand, in depth, what was going on with my spine and how an intensive Schroth 3D exercise therapy program could help me change my posture for the better.

What impressed me most about my Schroth 3D exercise therapy program was Malcolm was always patient, empathetic and encouraging in teaching me. My program was conducted one on one and customised to my pattern of idiopathic scoliosis - I had his undivided attention. In every therapy exercise he monitored my corrective breathing and my postural correction.

I also felt empowered being able to compile my own Home Exercise Program manual with helpful information about Schroth 3D exercise therapy, my pattern of idiopathic scoliosis, and a comprehensive set of exercise notes and photos. Family involvement was encouraged and my daughter, who attended with me for her hyper-kyphosis, took videos and photos of me performing my prescribed exercises.

By the end of my program, I felt physically and mentally great - I was pain free, and I still am. My experience at the Scoliosis Therapy Centre was a very positive one, the complete opposite to stop start, one off weekly or monthly treatment offered in Singapore, where you often forget what you have learned the previous week or month.

I personally feel, anything and everything to do with the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in Singapore is biased towards spinal fusion surgery. I continue to ask myself why? I have come to the conclusion that what is completely missing is Education! Education for appropriate and corrective 3D bracing and Schroth 3D exercise therapy programs, like the one I recently attended.

So, in case you are looking for a solution out of this madness, and you can afford an airfare to Australia and a stay on the Gold Coast, I would highly recommend Malcolm’s Scoliosis Therapy Centre.

I am 63 years of age and was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis when I was 32. I have a 28° left lumbar curve, 27° right thoracic curve and prominent and elevated right hip..Over decades I have tried various things to improve my scoliosis and ease the pain. Initially, I saw several practitioners who were not able to help. Back then, I was in chronic pain taking pain killers to enable me to get through each day. Not happy with my doctor’s conclusion that I would have to live with chronic pain, I embarked on my own self-help journey.

I started seeing a chiropractor, took up swim lessons, had the occasional massage and started wearing orthotics. Although, I still had pain and stiffness in my back, I believed that there was nothing more I could do for my back, till………

Last year I accidentally came across mention of the Schroth method in a book I was reading about breathing. Not really knowing what to expect I booked into the 6 day Schroth Scoliosis Rehabilitation Program at the Scoliosis Therapy Centre,Sanctuary Cove, QLD. I have not looked back since then! At the end of the program I had a detailed understanding of the nature of my scoliosis and returned home with a customised exercise program.

It is now 4 months since I attended the Scoliosis Therapy Centre and I continue to feel really good! I no longer need to see a chiropractor nor wear orthotics. I cannot get over the fact that I can now wear strappy sandals instead of bulky shoes required to fit orthotics.

I can’t remember the last time I have had to take a tablet for scoliosis pain relief; I no longer wake up with lower back pain and stiffness! I still have massages, swim and regularly walk - increased distances now - without pain. Friends have commented on how my upright posture has improved and I’m sure I’ve regained a few centimetres of my height. I didn’t realize how much I slouched.

I don't miss a day of my Schroth Home Exercise Program. It has improved my quality of life and continues to motivate me. The Schroth Method has empowered me. My scoliosis is no longer a negative and painful daily life experience.