Commentary on “Six-Month Follow-up of Supervised Spinal Stabilization Exercises for Low Back Pain in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis”

Document Type

Response or Comment

Publication Date

1-2017

Program

Physical Therapy

Abstract

This is a follow-up study of an 8-visit, once a week supervised physical therapy (PT) intervention program that significantly improved pain and global rating of change outcomes compared with an unsupervised, 1 PT visit-only group. Nevertheless, both groups improved in all meaningful outcomes that exceeded the minimal clinically important difference. The exercise protocols for both groups are pragmatic and may be easily applied by novice clinicians, patients, and their families. These may be tailored to patients who can or cannot afford to attend regular one-on-one PT sessions. Because no high-quality evidence currently exists for long-term scoliosis specific exercises,1 most therapists who have not undergone specialized training may opt for the simple stabilization program (with progression) applied in this study. Recently, even small scoliosis curves are shown to have significant long-term quality-of-life effect.2 Therefore, this study may help families, physicians, and therapists abandon the “wait and see” approach and instead address adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in early stages with the present study’s approach.

DOI

10.1097/PEP.0000000000000342

PMID

27984473

Publication

Pediatric Physical Therapy

Volume

29

Issue

1

Pages

1-67

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