ScoliosisJournal recently reported about physical therapy intervention studies on idiopathic scoliosis-review with the focus on inclusion criteria.
Authors: Hans-Rudolf Weiss, MD, Elisabete Santos Leal, OMT, Ulrike Hammelbeck BSc
Background
Studies investigating the outcome of conservative scoliosis treatment differ widely
with respect to the inclusion criteria used. This study has been performed to investigate
the possibility to find useful inclusion criteria for future prospective studies on
physiotherapy (PT).
Materials and methods
A PubMed search for outcome papers on PT was performed in order to detect study designs
and inclusion criteria used.
Results
Real outcome papers (start of treatment in immature samples/end results after the
end of growth; controlled studies in adults with scoliosis with a follow-up of more
than 5 years) have not been found. Some papers investigated mid-term effects of exercises,
most were retrospective, few prospective and many included patient samples with questionable
treatment indications.
Conclusion
There is no outcome paper on PT in scoliosis with a patient sample at risk for being
progressive in adults or in adolescents followed from premenarchial status until skeletal
maturity. However, papers on bracing are more frequently found and bracing can be
regarded as evidence-based in the conservative management and rehabilitation of idiopathic
scoliosis in adolescents.
To read the whole story and see the diagrams then you may do so by visiting
ScoliosisJournal
