Effect of exercise on posture, balance, gait, muscle strength, pulmonary function, and quality of life in hyperkyphotic older adults: a systematic review.

Background: Hyperkyphosis tends to increase with age. Hyperkyphosis can negatively affect the quality of life and physical function. Poor balance and decreased muscle have been found to be frequently reported in older adults with hyperkyphosis. The multidimensional exercise programs that include strengthening, flexibility, and postural control are used to correct thoracic posture in older adults. Purpose: The present study aims to systematically evaluate the existing literature on the effect of exercise programs on posture, balance, gait, muscle strength, pulmonary function, and quality of life in hyperkyphotic older adults. Methods: This systematic review adhered to PRISMA guidelines and was registered to PROSPERO. Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and ERIC) were searched till 31 December 2022. Four thousand six hundred twenty studies were obtained using different keywords, and a further selection of studies was based on inclusion criteria. The quality of studies was assessed through the physiotherapy evidence database scale (PEDro). Results: Eight studies met the eligibility criteria, and the mean score of selected studies on PEDro was 7 out of 10. All studies were pretest–post-test designs, and they involved a total of 463 participants. All included studies measured thoracic kyphosis angle. In selected studies, exercise frequency varied from 2 to 3 days a week, and the duration of exercise sessions varied from 60 to 90 min. Conclusions: This systematic review concludes that exercises are effective in improving posture. Due to limited and inadequate data availability, it was not possible to estimate the effect of exercise on muscle strength, pulmonary function, gait, and quality of life in older adults with hyperkyphosis. Hence, this systemic review suggests that there is a need for additional high-quality RCTs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]