Balance; Distorted, Hyperkyphosis, Osteoporosis, Spinal Disease, Spine Degeneration, Walking, Difficulty
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to improve understanding of the relationship between spinal alignment and walking and balance in people who have degenerative spinal conditions.
Detailed description
This prospective cohort study will include people who are attending physiotherapy to address a degenerative spinal condition and measure them longitudinally. The investigators will measure spinal alignment, walking capacity and pattern, dynamic balance, and back muscle strength along with self-reported measures that reflect the person's functional self-efficacy, quality of life, and general health. Physical and self-reported outcome measures will be assessed at baseline before the physiotherapy-led exercise class commences, after completion at 6 weeks, and 6 months post baseline.
Interventions
OTHERTherapeutic exercise class
Physiotherapy exercise class includes education, stretching, strengthening, posture and balance interventions.
Sponsors
University of Oxford
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Participant is diagnosed with a degenerative spinal condition. * Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study. * Men and women aged 18 years or older. * Participant is able to understand and participate safely in a physiotherapy measurement assessment. * Participant is enrolled in physiotherapy.
Exclusion criteria
* Participant is unable to stand independently. * Participant has a neurological condition which alters motor function and/or postural control.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in sagittal spinal alignment | 6 weeks post-baseline | Alignment of the spine in the sagittal plane measured by a surface topography method |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2 minute walk test | 6 weeks and 6 months | Distance walked in 2 minutes to measure exercise capacity |
| Gait analysis | 6 weeks and 6 months | Spatiotemoral gait parameters measured using inertial measurement units |
| Tragus to wall distance | 6 weeks and 6 months | Forward posture measurement using the distance from the ear to the wall |
| Four Square Step Test | 6 weeks and 6 months | Dynamic balance test involving multidirectional stepping over obstacles |
| Sagittal spinal alignment | 6 months | Alignment of the spine in the sagittal plane measured by a surface topography method |
| 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) | 6 weeks and 6 months | Health survey measuring aspects of quality of life. The questionnaire contains 36 questions which form 8 subscales: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, role limitations due to emotional problems, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, social functioning, pain, and general health. Each question is directly transformed into a 0-100 scale with the lower the score the more disability. |
| Visual analogue pain scale | 6 weeks and 6 months | Measurement of pain in a participant's back. The scale is along a horizontal 10 cm line with markings from 0 to 10, 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the worst pain imaginable. |
| Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale | 6 weeks and 6 months | Questionnaire measuring balance confidence in various situations. It contains 16 questions in which participants rate their confidence in performing the activities on a scale from 0-100, 0 representing no confidence and 100 representing complete confidence. The total score is calculated to be on a similar 0 to 100 scale. |
| Modified gait efficacy scale | 6 weeks and 6 months | Questionnaire measuring walking confidence and self-efficacy. Each of the 10 items is scored on a 10-point Likert scale with 1 representing no confidence and 10 representing complete confidence. The total score ranges from 10-100. |
| Timed loaded standing test | 6 weeks and 6 months | Measurement of back extensor muscle strength and endurance |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed