Wearing an Activating Spinal Orthosis and Physical Training in Women With Osteoporosis and Back Pain: A Postintervention Follow-Up Study.
Christina Kaijser Alin, Ann-Charlotte Grahn-Kronhed, Elin Uzunel and 1 others
PMID 34977537WHAT IT FOUND
Older women with osteoporosis and back pain who voluntarily continued the orthosis or training for 6 months kept similar back pain, back strength and balance.
Key findings
01After 6 months, there were no significant differences between the spinal orthosis and training groups on any variable.
02Within each group, no variable showed a significant difference at the 6-month follow-up; back extensor strength did not decrease, back pain did not increase, and balance did not worsen.
03At the start of follow-up, the groups differed significantly on weight, 1-leg standing with eyes open, and tandem standing with eyes closed, with the training group showing better results.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The follow-up had no control group, so it cannot show that orthosis use or training caused the maintained outcomes. Women were followed only if they completed the prior RCT, so they may be more motivated than patients who drop out. During follow-up there was no supervised contact, no exercise diary, and no reported time wearing the orthosis, so actual dose is unknown. All participating women reported continued training and varied orthosis use, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The groups started with baseline differences in weight and some balance tests, which could affect comparisons. The sample was 57 women, all from the same socioeconomic area in Stockholm, with wide age, back pain and fracture ranges, so generalizability is limited.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that an activating spinal orthosis or training maintains outcomes on its own. The women chose how much to continue, there was no control group during follow-up, and all reported continued training and varied orthosis use, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated.