Effect of 12 Weeks of Integrative Corrective Exercises on the Cobb Angle in Females With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Abstract

Background and Aims Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is one of the spinal deformities with unknown causes that contributes to 80-85% of scoliosis cases. This study aims to evaluate the effect of an integrative corrective exercise program on the severity of scoliosis in girls with AIS. Methods This is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest/posttest/follow-up design. Thirty-two girls (Mean age: 13.97±2.25 years; mean height: 153.97±7.978 cm, mean weight: 52.03±6.23 kg) with AIS (C-shaped thoracic deviation in the frontal plane) participated in the study. They were randomly divided into the exercise and control groups. The Cobb angle was measured by the radiography method. All measurements were performed before, immediately after, and 12 weeks after the exercise. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine within-group differences, and analysis of covariance was used for between-group differences. Results The mean Cobb angle at the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up phases were 15.8, 16.60, and 16.85 degrees in the control group and 16.04, 11.26, and 11.01 degrees in the exercise group, respectively, indicating a significant improvement in the Cobb angle in the exercise group compared to the control group over time (P<0.05); this improvement maintained for 12 weeks. Conclusion The integrated corrective exercise program, by using selected exercises, can reduce the degree of Cobb angle in females with AIS. The use of this program is recommended for adolescents.