The effect of abdominal drawing-in exercise and myofascial release on pain, flexibility, and balance of elderly females.
Seong Hun Yu, Yong Hyeon Sim, Myung Hoon Kim and 4 others
PMID 27821941WHAT IT FOUND
Abdominal drawing-in and myofascial release did not differ in pain, flexibility, or balance among older women with low back pain.
Both groups reported less pain after eight weeks.
Key findings
01Forty older women with low back pain lasting at least three months were randomly assigned to abdominal drawing-in or myofascial release, with 20 in each group.
02Pain scores decreased in both groups, but there was no difference between the groups in pain, flexibility, or balance.
03Abdominal drawing-in improved balance within its group, and myofascial release improved flexibility within its group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The paper does not state a primary outcome, so the main result to act on is unclear. Only 40 women were studied, 20 in each group, so the findings are limited. No dropout information is given, so the number analysed is not fully clear. Participants were elderly females who could perform exercise and excluded spondylolysis, malignant tumor, neurological lesion, or severe pain, so it says little about more complex cases. The two programmes did not differ from each other, so the study does not show that one is better. Outcomes were measured after eight weeks, and no longer follow-up is reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the improvements in each group as proof that one programme is better than the other. The paper found no difference between the two groups.