Motor Control Exercise in Osteoporotic Women

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Status: Completed

Conditions: Osteoporosis; Postmenopausal

Treatments: Other: Motor control exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01172574

1112

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this study was to explore the effectiveness of Motor Control Exercise on pain, postural alignment and spinal curvatures in women with osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

Full description

Osteoporosis is a common metabolic bone disease that usually affects the aging population. It is an important public health problem, due to its association with vertebral and nonvertebral fractures leading to increased morbidity. Vertebral fractures are accompanied by kyphosis, reduced pulmonary function, loss of height, and are often associated with elevated pain while they may also lead to subsequent vertebral fractures. Osteoporotic individuals exhibit kyphosis in the erect standing position, which, in turn, is compensated by the deformation of other parts of the body. Improvement of postural alignment may lead to less stress on the spine, facilitate posture and proper body mechanics and may improve balance. The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of Motor Control Exercise on pain, postural alignment and spinal curvatures in women with osteoporotic vertebral fracture against the results of a control group that received the basic therapies for osteoporosis.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 60 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Postmenopausal osteoporosis
• Osteoporotic vertebral fractures
• Pain
• Under medical osteoporotic treatment

Exclusion criteria

• osteoporosis other than primary postmenopausal
• vertebral collapse with neurological deficits
• more than 5 fractured vertebrae
• major respiratory conditions
• receiving pain reducing agents, teriparatide or calcitonin

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

Motor control exercise

Experimental group

Description:

Subjects of the exercise group underwent a 3-month (13-week) treatment program directed on 3-weekly 1-hr one-to-one sessions by the researcher who had experience in the specific exercise treatment of the spinal region. During the next 3 months, the subjects were urged to perform the exercises alone at home at least once a day, and compliance was monitored by the activity quota chart given to them at the beginning of each study-month.

Treatment:

Other: Motor control exercise

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group underwent treatment throughout a 6-month period, directed by each patient's medical practitioner. This consisted of the patients carrying out regular weekly general exercises (walking and swimming). Three of them regularly attended other treatment providers involving group general exercise programs. Two patients received the application of local pain-relieving methods such as heat, massage, laser and ultrasound and one did nothing except for receiving osteoporotic medication.