Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 88, Issue 2 , Pages 192-199, February 2007

Changes in Flexed Posture, Musculoskeletal Impairments, and Physical Performance After Group Exercise in Community-Dwelling Older Women

  • Wendy B. Katzman, DPTSc

      Affiliations

    • University of California, San Francisco, CA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to Wendy B. Katzman, DPTSc, University of California, UCSF Box 0625, San Francisco, CA 94143-0625.
    • ,
  • Deborah E. Sellmeyer, MD

      Affiliations

    • University of California, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Anita L. Stewart, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Linda Wanek, PhD

      Affiliations

    • San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA.
    • ,
  • Kate A. Hamel, PhD

      Affiliations

    • San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA.

Abstract 

Katzman WB, Sellmeyer DE, Stewart AL, Wanek L, Hamel KA. Changes in flexed posture, musculoskeletal impairments, and physical performance after group exercise in community-dwelling older women.

Objective

To determine whether improvements in flexed posture, strength, range of motion (ROM), and physical performance would be observed after 12 weeks of group exercise in older women who because of age are prone to flexed posture and impaired physical function.

Design

Pretest-posttest of outcome measures.

Setting

Outpatient academic medical center.

Participants

Twenty-one women with thoracic kyphosis of 50° or greater.

Intervention

Multidimensional group exercise performed 2 times a week for 12 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures

Primary dependent measures of flexed posture included kyphosis, forward head, and height. Other dependent measures included spinal extensor muscle strength; shoulder, hip, and knee ROM; balance; modified Physical Performance Test (PPT); jug test; and gait speed.

Results

Baseline kyphosis was 57°±5.0°, and age was 72.0±4.2 years. There were significant improvements in usual (−6°±3°) and best kyphosis (−5°±3°) (P<.001), spinal extensor muscle strength (21%±13% of peak torque/body weight, P<.001), popliteal angle (right, 7°±7°; left, 9°±10°; P<.001), modified PPT (2±2 points, P<.001), and jug test (−1.4±1.3s, P<.001). Age and modified PPT at baseline correlated with change in kyphosis (r=0.5, P=.02; r=.42, P=.055, respectively).

Conclusions

Multidimensional group exercise reduced measured kyphosis and improved strength, ROM, and physical performance. This study provides a promising exercise intervention that may improve posture and physical performance in older women with flexed posture.

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

 

 Supported in part by the General Clinical Research Center, Moffitt/MZ Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, CA, the National Center for Research Resources, U.S. Public Health Service (grant no. MO1 RR-00079), the California Physical Therapy Fund, and the Mount Zion Health Fund.

 No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.

 Reprints are not available from the author.

PII: S0003-9993(06)01483-3

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2006.10.033

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 88, Issue 2 , Pages 192-199, February 2007

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