Home-based trunk-strengthening exercise for osteoporotic and osteopenic postmenopausal women without fracture - a pilot study

Objectives: To investigate whether a 12-week home-based programme of trunk-strengthening exercise could benefit spinal mobility, function and quality of life for osteoporotic and osteopenic postmenopausal women without fracture. Designs: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: Department of Physical Therapy in National Taiwan University Hospital. Subjects: Twenty-eight postmenopausal women (mean age 60.3+/-9.3 years) diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia without fracture history were recruited for this study. Subjects were randomly assigned into exercise or control groups, each consisting of 14 subjects. Interventions: The 12-week exercise programme included strengthening routines for the trunk extensor and flexor muscles. The subjects performed three sets of 10 repetitions for each of the exercises, with programmes carried out three times per day at home. Main outcome measurements: Muscular strength, spinal range of motion (ROM) and motion velocity, Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ) and quality of life (QOL) were measured before the start and after completion of the exercise programme. Results: Statistically significant improvements were demonstrated in spinal ROM and motion velocity in the sagittal and frontal planes for the exercise group (p < 0.05). Further, the strength of the trunk flexors and extensors increased after exercise training (p < 0.05). ODQ measure was significantly reduced in the exercise group (p < 0.05), while the controls showed no significant change. Subjects in the exercise group showed better satisfaction in some domains of the Short-Form-36 Health Survey quality of life questionnaire (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This 12-week home-based trunk-strengthening exercise programme could improve trunk mobility and strength, and enhance QOL in osteoporotic and osteopenic postmenopausal women without vertebral fracture. Future study should recruit more cases or more severe subjects to verify the results.