Authors: Adeeba AlHerz Jan Paul Snip Bruce Clark John M Esdaile
Publish Date: 2007/09/21
Volume: 27, Issue: 2, Pages: 207-210
Abstract
We evaluated the effect of exercise therapy on back pain spinal range of motion ROM and disability in persons with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis DISH Persons with symptomatic DISH received a daily exercise program for 24 weeks consisting of mobility stretching and strengthening exercises for the cervical thoracic and lumbar spine It included 14 supervised sessions over 8 weeks Outcomes included visual analogue scales VAS for pain stiffness and fatigue 13 spinal measurements the neck pain and disability scale the Quebec back pain disability scale the Bath Spondylitis Functional Index and the MACTAR patient preference scale Assessments were made at baseline 8 weeks and 24 weeks Fifteen of 17 completed the study Comparing week 24 with baseline Schober’s test improved significantly p = 002 and VAS stiffness and left fingertofloor test demonstrated a trend to improvement p = 007 each The physical measures which were expected to improve with the exercise program all moved in the direction expected but had p values 010 At 24 weeks eight 533 participants rated their status as improved three 20 as unchanged and four 27 were unsure about the benefit The exercise program designed for DISH and tested in this study led to small improvements in physical measures which achieved significance only for lumbosacral flexion
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