ADL based scoliosis rehabilitation--the key to an improvement of time-efficiency?

A new ADL (Activities of Daily Living) approach in scoliosis rehabilitation has been designed. The ADL approach uses Side-Shift, physiologic(R), 3D-ADL exercises and Schroth exercises according to current standard. It was compared to an exercise based scoliosis rehabilitation that mainly uses Schroth exercises and as an add-on the training of ADL. The ADL approach in practice seems to be easier to teach and the treatment needs fewer theoretical modules leading to a better time-efficiency. Aim of this study was to test whether the gain in time-efficiency is at the loss of outcome.We studied 13 patients having had a 2 weeks ADL based rehabilitation (ABR) and compared their clinical outcome parameters (surface topograhy & Scoliometer angle) to a group of 13 diagnosis-, age-, sex-, Cobb-angle and curve pattern-matched controls having a 4 weeks programme of exercise based rehabilitation (EBR) only. Average age in the study group was 15 years and average Cobb-angle 39 degrees.Lateral deviation in the study group already after 2 weeks of ABR decreased 2mm (Formetric). Lateral deviation in the control group (EBR) decreased 1,9 mm. The changes were not significant. Thoracic as well as lumbar Scoliometer angle decreased highly significantly in both groups (ABR: 1,8 degrees thoracic, 2,3 degrees lumbar; EBR: 2,1 degrees thoracic, 2,6 degrees lumbar). The differences of outcome between the two groups were not significant.ABR (2-week programme) seems to provide similar results as EBR (4-week programme). ABR seems to provide a better time efficiency, however a prospective controlled study with a larger sample of patients is desirable before final conclusions can be drawn.