Exercise & Manual PT for Vertebral Fractures

Results of a trial published in the February issue of BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders support the benefits of exercise and manual therapy in the clinical management of patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

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ABSTRACT

Apr 02, 2010 9:13 AM - In this research trial, 20 participants were randomly allocated to an intervention (n = 11) or control (n = 9) group. The intervention group attended individual sessions with an experienced clinician once a week for 10 weeks and performed daily home exercises with adherence monitored by a self-report diary. The control group received no treatment. Blinded assessment was conducted at baseline and 11 weeks. Questionnaires assessed self-reported changes in back pain, physical function, and health-related quality of life. Objective measures of thoracic kyphosis, back and shoulder muscle endurance, and function also were taken.

Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant reductions in pain during movement and at rest and significantly greater improvements in physical function tests. For the perceived change in back pain over the 10 weeks, 82% of participants in the intervention group rated their pain as 'much better' compared with only 11% of the participants in the control group.

However, say authors, these findings need to be confirmed in a larger sample.