The effects of physical training without equipment on pain perception and balance in the elderly: A randomized controlled trial.
Antonino Patti, Antonino Bianco, Bettina Karsten and 9 others
PMID 28506013WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults doing a 13-week equipment-free group exercise program improved balance and had lower pain-related disability scores at follow-up.
Controls who received no intervention did not show these changes. The program used no equipment and included mobility, core stability, proprioceptive, and coordination work.
Key findings
01The exercise group's Berg Balance Scale score was 51.83±4.17 before the program and 54.36±2.15 at follow-up; the control group's score was 51.09±3.89 before and 51.67±4.49 at follow-up, and the paper reports that only the exercise group showed a significant balance improvement.
02The exercise group's Oswestry Disability Index score was 9.87±6.39 before the program and 4.75±3.41 at follow-up; the control group's score was 6.74±3.5 before and 7.02±3.72 at follow-up, and the paper reports that only the exercise group showed a significant reduction in perceived pain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The control group did not receive any study-related treatment, so the comparison is exercise versus no study treatment. The paper describes computer-generated allocation but does not report allocation concealment or whether participants and instructors were blinded. Participants had to attend at least 75% of sessions, but the paper does not report how many were dropped for low attendance or how this affected the final 92. The pain outcome was measured with the Oswestry Disability Index, which the paper also describes as a disability tool, so the result may reflect disability rather than pain alone. The study measured balance and disability/pain, not actual falls, so fall prevention is not directly shown. Follow-up was only at T1, with no longer follow-up reported. The paper states an aim to investigate dose-response effects, but the reported results do not present dose-response findings. The exclusion criteria are described confusingly, including high pressure and not having a positive diagnosis for any serious disease, so eligibility is not fully clear. The paper reports baseline demographic similarity but does not report whether baseline balance or disability scores differed between groups.
Declared interests
The paper reports no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the improved balance scores as evidence that this program prevents falls. The study measured Berg Balance Scale scores and Oswestry Disability Index scores, not actual falls.