The efficiency of corrective exercise interventions on thoracic hyper-kyphosis angle.

Abstract

Corrective exercise interventions are often utilized to manage subjects with thoracic hyper-kyphosis, yet the quality of evidence that supports their efficiency is lacking. In this study, the efficacy of local and comprehensive corrective exercise programs (LCEP and CCEP) on kyphosis angle was evaluated. A prospective, randomised controlled design was used in the present study. Sixty patients with postural hyper-kyphosis deformity (⩾ 42°) entered the study for 12 weeks. Subjects were randomly assigned to a LCEP (n=20), CCEP (n=20), or Control groups (n=20). Pre- and post-participation levels of kyphosis angle were measured by flexicurve ruler. Both the LCEP and CCEP groups demonstrated statistically significant reductions in thoracic kyphosis angle compared to the control group (p=0.001). Furthermore, based on Cohen's d-value, the efficiency of CCEP was larger than LCEP. Considering the extremely large effect size of the CCEP, we recommend that this program be used in the correction of postural hyper-kyphosis deformity in future.