Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 90, Issue 2 , Pages 358-361, February 2009

Stability of Kyphosis, Strength, and Physical Performance Gains 1 Year After a Group Exercise Program in Community-Dwelling Hyperkyphotic Older Women

Presented as a poster to the American Physical Therapy Association, February 2008, Nashville, TN.

  • Sarah B. Pawlowsky, DPT

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to Sarah B. Pawlowsky, DPT, University of California, UCSF Box 0736, San Francisco, CA 94143-0736
    • ,
  • Kate A. Hamel, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Kinesiology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Wendy B. Katzman, DPTSc

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA

Abstract 

Pawlowsky SB, Hamel KA, Katzman WB. Stability of kyphosis, strength, and physical performance gains 1 year after a group exercise program in community-dwelling hyperkyphotic older women.

Objective

To determine if subjects maintained improvements in kyphosis, spinal extensor strength, and physical performance 1 year after a 12-week multidimensional group exercise program.

Design

Follow-up data compared with posttest outcome measures.

Setting

Outpatient academic medical center.

Participants

Nineteen of the initial 21 women, ages 65 to 80, with thoracic kyphosis of 50° or greater at the onset of the study completed follow-up testing.

Interventions

Initial intervention included multidimensional group exercise performed 2 times a week for 12 weeks, consisting of spinal extensor strengthening, flexibility exercises, and integrated spinal proprioception training. Subjects exercised independently during the following year.

Main Outcome Measures

Primary measures at the 1-year follow-up were usual and best kyphosis. Secondary measures included spinal extensor strength, modified Physical Performance Test (PPT), and the Jug Test.

Results

Subjects maintained gains at the 1-year follow-up (P>.05). Best kyphosis improved by 3° during the follow-up year (P=.022). There were no significant declines in usual kyphosis (P=.302), spinal extensor strength (P=.999), PPT (P=.087), and the Jug Test (P=.999) at follow-up.

Conclusions

Hyperkyphotic women maintained gains in usual kyphosis, spinal extensor strength, and physical performance 1 year after a group exercise program. Improvement in best kyphosis in the year after the intervention was also observed. Detraining effects may be minimized by multidimensional exercises.

Key Words: Aging, Exercise, Kyphosis, Posture, Rehabilitation

List of Abbreviations: ADLs, activities of daily living, PPT, Physical Performance Test

 

 Supported by National Institutes of Health/National Center for Research Resources UCSF-CTSI (grant no. UL1 RR024131).

 The contents of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

 We certify that no party having a direct interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on us or on any organization with which we are associated.

 Reprints are not available from the author.

PII: S0003-9993(08)01568-2

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2008.07.016

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 90, Issue 2 , Pages 358-361, February 2009

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