The Rigo Concept (BSPTS)

The Barcelona School was founded by Elena Salvá, a Spanish Physiotherapist, who introduced the German ‘Schroth Method’ to Barcelona during the 1960’s.  She had been learning directly from Katherina and Christa Schroth in Germany, and with their blessing, began providing their method in Barcelona. (Read Schroth history).

In the late 1980’s, Dr Manuel Rigo and his wife, Dr. Gloria Quera Salvá (Elena’s daughter), began educating Spanish Physiotherapists under the ‘Schroth’ name in accordance to the methodology of Lehnert-Schroth and Dr H.R. Weiss (Christa’s son).

At the time, there were 3 different ‘branches’ originating from Schroth, the ISST from A.M. Hennes; Best Practice, From Dr. H-R-Weiss; and the BSPTS Rigo Concept.

These three branches are based, in some way, on the original Schroth method, but they all continued to evolve in their own way, in response to research and their own clinical development so that nowadays, they can be considered relevantly different, conceptually as well as technically.

In respect of this evolution, since 2008, the BSPTS has been certifying practitioners under the name of the ‘Rigo Concept (BSPTS)’ whilst always acknowledging its origins in Schroth.

General Objectives of the Rigo Concept BSPTS (PSSE) certification course:

• Give the physiotherapist specific information and knowledge about scoliosis (assessment, natural history, prognosis and treatment) to become a qualified member of a multidisciplinary team according to SOSORT Guidelines.
• Encourage thinking and critical/constructive reasoning when facing the different theories on the causes and development of scoliosis, the assessment systems and the treatment strategies, mainly non-surgical (Rehabilitation and Bracing).