Skip to content

Physical Therapy Treatment Once a Month Versus Once a Week for Posture Improvement in Children and Adolescents

Physical Therapy Treatment Once a Month Versus Physical Treatment Once a Week for Posture Improvement in Children and Adolescents Who Suffer From Posture Problem or Low Back Pain

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03046472
Enrollment
50
Registered
2017-02-08
Start date
2017-02-15
Completion date
2018-12-01
Last updated
2020-01-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Postural Kyphosis, Thoracic Region

Keywords

thorax curve angle

Brief summary

This study is design in a clinical setting for testing whether physical therapy treatment that includes postural awareness exercises for strength flexibility and endurance is improving low back pain and postural behavior. The study will consist of two groups, basic treatment that will get one on one treatment once a month for 3 months and the intervention group, will get an additional group therapy once a week.

Detailed description

Background: Life time prevalence of Low Back Pain among Children and Adolescent ranges from 32% to 66%. This prevalence gets higher with age and among 17 years old it's equal to prevalence among adults. Previous episode of Low Back pain is a predicting risk factor to the next one, hence we should do preventative care at a young age, even before the first attack occur. Poor posture was found as one of the risk factors for Low Back Pain in children. Adolescence with neutral posture had less prevalence of Low Back Pain then those with poor posture. Prolong slouch sitting was associated with Low Back Pain. Prevention education programs, focusing on knowledge, did not show effective change in posture behavior. Hence, the researchers concluded that it's better if they focus on exercise. Research Goal: comparison between physical therapy treatment for good posture once a week versus once a month, on postural behavior, thorax curve angle and Low Back Pain. Research type: randomize, Interventional, blinded. Methods and Procedures Population: the study will include 50 children and adolescents age 10-18 years suffering from poor back posture, with or without Low Back Pain. Procedure: The study will consist of two groups: both groups will get personal meeting once a month and a program of exercising at home every day. Treatment group will have in addition group meeting once a week and control group not. The intervention program will include physical awareness and practice for good posture, and exercises for flexibility, strength and muscle endurance. Measurement tools:Digital Inclinometer for measuring thorax curve angle. Postural observation for measuring postural habits. Back pain and postural habits questionnaire for measuring LBP on VAS SCALE, postural knowledge and habits of participant, including demographic data. Parents' questionnaire for measuring parents' knowledge and ideas. Research hypothesis: postural behavior, thorax curve angle and Low Back Pain will get better in both groups but more in the treatment group.

Interventions

OTHERPhysical Therapy treatment for Postural Behavior

Physical Therapy treatment for Postural Behavior: intervention program will include physical awareness by using a mirror and practice for good posture, and exercises for flexibility, strength and muscle endurance. All participants will get 10-15 minutes of exercise for performing every day.

Sponsors

Assuta Hospital Systems
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)

Masking description

One of the investigators has the role of examining the participants before and after the intervention. She will be blinded from the group allocation.

Intervention model description

The study will consist of two groups: a Treatment group and a control group. Both groups will get personal meeting once a month and a program of exercising at home every day. Treatment group will have in addition group meeting once a week and control group not.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
10 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. Children and Adolescent who referred by their pediatrician or orthopedic doctor to Physical Therapy treatment due to bad posture or Low Back Pain 2. At the Physical Therapy clinic was found that this is truly the condition of bad posture or low back pain with bad posture. 3. age 10-18 years 4. they signed on informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

1. Children and Adolescent who suffer from risk of structural deterioration as structural scoliosis(Cob angle above 20° and Risser sign equal or below 3) or structural Kyphosis (above 40° Risser sign equal or below 3 or Scheuermann Disease) 2. Any sever health condition neurologic internal or orthopedic like Cerebral Palsy, Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or Malignancy.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Thoracic Kyphosis Angle2 time points. before starting intervention and after 3 months.Normal thoracic kyphosis angle ranges between 25°-40°. Measuring by Digital Inclinometer by placing it on the spinous process of T1 and T12 and the outcome off subtraction the two numbers is our out come. The participant is to stand how ever he think is the best posture.
Low Back Pain2 time points. before starting intervention and after 3 months.VAS Scale 0-10 0 no pain 1-2 very mild pain 2-3 mild pain 4-6 moderate pain 7-8 high pain 9-10 very high pain
Back Postural Behavior2 time points. before starting intervention and after 3 months.the investigator observes the participant in 8 different positions: sitting in the waiting room, walking to the treatment room, sitting in front of the therapist, placing a mattress on the floor, exercising in six position, exercising in sitting position, exercising in standing position, and changing between positions. Each position get a subscore as 0-bad posture 1-fair 2-good. Overall postural behavior: was comprised of all 8 observations including: grades 0 to 16. An higher score is a better behavior. spontaneous behavior was comprised of 4 sob score that ha a spontaneous characteristics: sitting waiting for treatment, walking into the room, sitting during treatment and transition between exercises. summation of these 4 would range 0-8 . an Higher score is a better behavior.

Countries

Israel

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Once a Month and Once a Week.
Personally meeting once a month of Physical Therapy treatment for Postural Behavior. In addition exercise group meeting once a week. The intervention program will include physical awareness by using a mirror and practice for good posture, and exercises for flexibility, strength and muscle endurance. All participants will get 10-15 minutes of exercise for performing every day. The Participants in this group will get also a group exercise meeting once a week That meeting will long 45 minutes and will include the exercise that were given as home work and more. Total duration 12 weeks/3 months Physical Therapy treatment for Postural Behavior: Physical Therapy treatment for Postural Behavior: intervention program will include physical awareness by using a mirror and practice for good posture, and exercises for flexibility, strength and muscle endurance. All participants will get 10-15 minutes of exercise for performing every day.
17
Once a Month Only.
Personally meeting once a month only for Physical Therapy treatment for Postural Behavior. The intervention program will include physical awareness by using a mirror and practice for good posture, and exercises for flexibility, strength and muscle endurance. All participants will get 10-15 minutes of exercise for performing every day. Total duration 12 weeks/3 months Physical Therapy treatment for Postural Behavior: Physical Therapy treatment for Postural Behavior: intervention program will include physical awareness by using a mirror and practice for good posture, and exercises for flexibility, strength and muscle endurance. All participants will get 10-15 minutes of exercise for performing every day.
33
Total50

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicOnce a Month and Once a Week.Once a Month Only.Total
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
17 Participants33 Participants50 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Continuous14.2 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.1
14.0 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.9
14.2 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.9
Low back Pain in VAS Scale5.6 units on scale 0-10
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.2
5.5 units on scale 0-10
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.1
5.5 units on scale 0-10
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.1
Overall Back Postural Behavior2.1 units on scale 0-16
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.8
2.2 units on scale 0-16
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.4
2.2 units on scale 0-16
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.2
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected0 Participants
Region of Enrollment
Israel
17 participants33 participants50 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
10 Participants16 Participants26 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
7 Participants17 Participants24 Participants
spontaneous Back Postural Behavior0.5 units on scale 0-8
STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.8
0.5 units on scale 0-8
STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.9
0.5 units on scale 0-8
STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.9
Thorax curve angel39.2 degrees
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.3
38.9 degrees
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.3
39.0 degrees
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.8

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 330 / 17
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 330 / 17
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 330 / 17

Outcome results

Primary

Back Postural Behavior

the investigator observes the participant in 8 different positions: sitting in the waiting room, walking to the treatment room, sitting in front of the therapist, placing a mattress on the floor, exercising in six position, exercising in sitting position, exercising in standing position, and changing between positions. Each position get a subscore as 0-bad posture 1-fair 2-good. Overall postural behavior: was comprised of all 8 observations including: grades 0 to 16. An higher score is a better behavior. spontaneous behavior was comprised of 4 sob score that ha a spontaneous characteristics: sitting waiting for treatment, walking into the room, sitting during treatment and transition between exercises. summation of these 4 would range 0-8 . an Higher score is a better behavior.

Time frame: 2 time points. before starting intervention and after 3 months.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Once a Month Only.Back Postural BehaviorDifference Overall back postural behavior6.7 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 3.1
Once a Month Only.Back Postural BehaviorDifference spontaneous back postural behavior end3.0 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.9
Once a Month and Once a Week.Back Postural BehaviorDifference Overall back postural behavior9.0 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.3
Once a Month and Once a Week.Back Postural BehaviorDifference spontaneous back postural behavior end4.1 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.7
p-value: 0.01t-test, 2 sided
Primary

Low Back Pain

VAS Scale 0-10 0 no pain 1-2 very mild pain 2-3 mild pain 4-6 moderate pain 7-8 high pain 9-10 very high pain

Time frame: 2 time points. before starting intervention and after 3 months.

Population: only 33 out of 50 had LBP 21 in once a month group and 12 in once a month and once a week

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Once a Month Only.Low Back PainLBP Baseline5.5 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.1
Once a Month Only.Low Back PainLBP End2.8 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2
Once a Month and Once a Week.Low Back PainLBP End1.6 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.9
Once a Month and Once a Week.Low Back PainLBP Baseline5.6 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.2
p-value: <0.001ANOVA
Primary

Thoracic Kyphosis Angle

Normal thoracic kyphosis angle ranges between 25°-40°. Measuring by Digital Inclinometer by placing it on the spinous process of T1 and T12 and the outcome off subtraction the two numbers is our out come. The participant is to stand how ever he think is the best posture.

Time frame: 2 time points. before starting intervention and after 3 months.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Once a Month Only.Thoracic Kyphosis AngleCurve angle baseline39.2 degreesStandard Deviation 9.3
Once a Month Only.Thoracic Kyphosis AngleCurve angle end27.9 degreesStandard Deviation 7.8
Once a Month and Once a Week.Thoracic Kyphosis AngleCurve angle baseline38.9 degreesStandard Deviation 9.3
Once a Month and Once a Week.Thoracic Kyphosis AngleCurve angle end28.2 degreesStandard Deviation 6.8
p-value: <0.001ANOVA

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026