The effect of comprehensive physiotherapy-based rehabilitation on stooped posture in Parkinson's disease.
Yuki Kawami, Kohei Marumoto, Yukina Shiomi and 6 others
PMID 30568331WHAT IT FOUND
In Parkinson's patients with stooped posture, inpatient comprehensive physiotherapy improved trunk bending angles significantly more than usual home care.
However, the rehabilitation group received intensive multi-disciplinary therapy, so the specific contribution of physiotherapy alone cannot be separated.
Key findings
01The change in trunk bending angle in the comfortable standing position was significantly larger in the rehabilitation group than the control group (6.1° vs -0.4°).
02The change in trunk bending angle in the upright standing position was significantly larger in the rehabilitation group than the control group (6.0° vs 0.0°).
03The rehabilitation group showed significant improvement in lumbar lordosis angle in both comfortable and upright positions compared to the control group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study had a very small sample size (20 participants), limiting the reliability of the findings. The follow-up period was short (only one month), so long-term effects are unknown. The intervention was a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary program (PT, OT, SLP), making it impossible to attribute the improvements specifically to physiotherapy. There was a baseline difference in age between the groups, with the rehabilitation group being significantly older.
Declared interests
None of the authors has any conflicts of interest to be declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that physiotherapy alone caused the postural improvements. The rehabilitation group received intensive, multi-disciplinary care including occupational and speech-language therapy, so the specific contribution of any single discipline cannot be separated from the whole program.