Effect of the lumbar stability exercise on the height difference between shoulders and range of motion in older adults.
Jae-Kwang Lee, Jae-Hong Lee
PMID 36628140WHAT IT FOUND
In older adults, five weeks of lumbar stability exercise significantly improved shoulder flexion and abduction range of motion, while passive arm exercise only improved abduction.
Neither group showed a significant change in shoulder height difference.
Key findings
01Lumbar stability exercise significantly increased shoulder flexion and abduction range of motion over 5 weeks.
02Passive upper arm exercise significantly increased shoulder abduction range of motion but not flexion.
03Neither group showed a statistically significant reduction in shoulder height difference.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (20 participants), limiting the reliability of the results. The study lasted only five weeks, so long-term effects are unknown. Participants were drawn from a single nursing home, which may not represent the broader older adult population. The control group received passive exercise, not no treatment, so it is unclear if the benefits were due to the specific core exercises or simply increased activity. Authors noted that other exercises and medications were not strictly controlled.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume lumbar stability exercise is superior to passive arm exercise for all shoulder movements; both groups improved shoulder abduction, and the core exercise did not improve shoulder extension or height difference more than the passive exercise.