Sagittal plane spinal mobility is associated with dynamic balance ability of community-dwelling elderly people.
Yahiko Takeuchi
PMID 28210054WHAT IT FOUND
In 31 community-dwelling elderly people, greater lumbar flexion was linked to longer functional reach, greater thoracic extension to faster Timed Up and Go, and entire-spine extension to faster walking.
Key findings
01Lumbar flexion had a significant positive correlation coefficient of 0.469 with functional reach distance (p < 0.01).
02Thoracic extension had a significant negative correlation coefficient of -0.542 with Timed Up and Go time (p < 0.01).
03Entire-spine extension, including backward pelvic inclination, had a significant positive correlation coefficient of 0.507 with maximum walking speed (p < 0.01).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 31 healthy elderly people living in the community, so it may not apply to elderly people who are not healthy or not living in the community. Spinal mobility and balance were measured in the same session, so the study cannot show which came first or whether spinal mobility causes better balance. The study measured balance and walking tests, not actual falls, so it cannot show that these spinal mobility findings reduce fall risk. The entire-spine measure included pelvic inclination, so it cannot be read as a spinal-only mobility test.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that spinal mobility exercises improve balance or prevent falls. This study only measured correlations in 31 healthy community-dwelling elderly people and did not test an intervention or fall outcomes.