Effects of targeted back muscle exercises in reducing thoracic kyphosis in patients of hyperkyphosis

Abstract

Increased thoracic kyphosis (hyperkyphosis) is well known entity especially in elderly population may be responsible for multiple morbidity and needs a non-pharmacological preventive strategy due to which muscle strength training has been routinely advised. Eighty patients were included in study and divided into two groups. One group received institutional and home-based exercise regimen and another group was administered the routine pharmacological regimen. Besides demographic variables, clinical (occiput to wall distance, pain, ODI score and spinal flexibility) and radiological parameters (Cobb’s angles of thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and thoracic kyphosis in best erect posture) were assessed before and after the end of 3-month duration. The data between both the groups was comparable but the study group showed marked improvement at the end of study (mean difference of 1.8º) and significant improvement in clinical parameters of pain, ODI score, occiput to wall distance and spinal flexibility. The other values were insignificantly affected. We find that exercise regimen positively impacts and significantly improves the thoracic kyphosis, clinical and functional status of patients who have hyperkyphosis but undergo a targeted muscle training programme for back muscles.