The Effectiveness of Two Different Exercises in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Single-blind Study

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a progressive growth disease with unknown etiology, characterized by a three-dimensional deformity of the spine (frontal translation, sagittal modification, and torsion of the spinous processes on the concave side of the scoliotic curve on radiographs).

In patients with AIS, in addition to curve progression there are many problems commonly occur such as; muscular imbalance, functional limitations, altered posture, gait deviations, reduced flexibility of the spine, back pain, negative physico-social, body image effects, and in severe cases pulmonary symptoms. The asymmetry of the trunk and pelvis are affected related to the shape and angle of scoliosis, and the weight distribution position changes depending on the shape and the Cobb angle of scoliosis. To deal with these complications and more, various treatment approaches have been proposed for AIS, including exercise, bracing, casting, traction, biofeedback, surgery, and simple observation to prevent, correct or halt the progression of the deformity. Conservative treatment methods including physiotherapy and bracing are accepted in Central Europe.

In literature, exercises are recommended to decrease progression, to improve spine and thoracic cage flexibility, muscle strengths, and elasticity, to correct postural behavior, and neuro-motor control, spine stability. In general, traditional exercises (TE) including postural training, stretching, and strengthening exercises for spinal musculature, respiratory exercises have been used for many years for scoliosis. Except for the traditional exercises, there are several exercise concepts including Schroth, Side Shift, Dobomed methods... etc. Schroth exercises are asymmetric scoliosis-specific postural exercises that aim to improve the curve, function, posture, self-image, and pain. Schroth exercises target strength and endurance training of the back, abdominal, and leg muscles. Also one of the aim of Schroth exercises is to improve motor control of the posture by repeating corrective movements with progressively less feedback. Schroth exercises are the most studied scoliosis exercises but there are limited randomized controlled studies on Schroth exercises.

Recently general physiotherapeutic exercises including, Core stabilization (CS) exercises, Pilates have been used in the conservative treatment of idiopathic scoliosis. CS exercises are described as therapy techniques that improve postural control, and functional stability through increasing neuromuscular control, the strength of trunk stabilization muscles, the endurance of postural muscles around the spine, the balance between pelvis and spine. However, limited studies are determining CS exercises' effect on patients with AIS. In a study CS exercises found to be more effective in reducing pain and rotational deformity than traditional exercises in the conservative rehabilitation of AIS.

A recent systematic review showed that therapeutic exercise had been effective to reduce symptoms, Cobb's angle, trunk rotation, craniovertebral angle, and body asymmetries, and to improve muscular endurance, pulmonary function, and functional capacity of patients with AIS. Corrective, therapeutic exercises appear to have positive effects by improving function and reducing symptoms, as well as various angles and body asymmetries. However, further studies with better methodological quality are required to confirm these outcomes and detect the best therapeutic exercise intervention. And also there is a need for randomized controlled studies on different methods of exercise to choose the most effective exercise in clinical practice.