PURPOSE: This study aimed to verify the effects of SNPE (Self Natural Posture Exercise) on factors of pain in patients with dorsopathies in their 20s and 40s.
METHODS: Subjects were 72 females (34.7 ± 6.6 yrs, 20.7 ± 2.5 kg/m2) diagnosed with cervical or lumbar dorsopathies, and were divided into 3 groups; Cervical Exercise Group (CEG), Lumbar Exercise Group (LEG), and Control Group (CG). CEG (n = 36) and LEG (n = 16) exercised for 80 min, 3 times/w, for 12 weeks while CG (n = 18) did not. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) and muscle tone (MT) (in suboccipital (SO), upper trapezius (UT), lower trapezius (LT), and erector spinae (ES) muscles), postural alignment (PA) (of shoulder balance (SB) and pelvic balance (PB)), and skeletal structure (cervical and lumbar cobb's angle (LA)) were measured during pre and post of the program. ANOVA was employed comparing differences between the pre and the post in each group.
RESULTS: PPT was significantly different between the groups in SO (p < .01), UT and LT (p < .01), and ES (p < .05). PPT of SO in CEG (pre 3.8 ± 1.3, post 4.9 ± 1.3), PPT of ES in LEG (pre 8.5 ± 2.2, post 11.0 ± 1.8), and PPT of UT and LT in CEG (pre 5.9 ± 1.5 and 8.8 ± 2.2, post 7.4 ± 1.5 and 11.2 ± 2.0, respectively) and in LEG (pre 5.4 ± 1.0 and 8.7 ± 2.2, post 6.9 ± 1.2 and 11.2 ± 1.8) improved more than in CG. MT was statistically different between the groups in SO (p < .01), LT (p < .05), and ES (p < .01). MT of SO in CEG (pre 17.0 ± 1.3, post 13.5 ± 0.9) and in LEG (pre 17.1 ± 1.2, post 15.8 ± 0.9), MT of LT in CEG (pre 16.0 ± 1.9, post 14.7 ± 1.4), and MT of ES in LEG (pre 15.2 ± 0.9, post 12.7 ± 1.3) decreased more than in CG. PA was statistically different between the groups in SB (p < .01) and PB (p < .01). PA of SB and PB in CEG (pre 2.3 ± 1.4 and 2.1 ± 1.4, post 1.0 ± 1.2 and 0.4 ± 1.4, respectively) and in LEG (pre 1.9 ± 1.4 and 2.0 ± 1.3, post 0.5 ± 0.9 and 0.2 ± 1.7) were improved than that of in CG. LA was statistically different between the groups (p < .01). LA in LEG (pre 33.8 ± 12.3, post 38.9 ± 12.3) improved more than in CG.
CONCLUSION: SNPE showed a positive effect on the pressure pain threshold, muscle tone, postural alignment, and skeletal structure of adult women with dorsopathies indicating that SNPE can be an effective exercise treatment for improving and relieving pain with dorsopathies.
