EFFECTS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY ON ADOLESCENT IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS. A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Introduction: Scoliosis is a three-dimensional deformative abnormality of the spine, defined by the Cobb's angle of spine curvature in the coronal plane, and is often accompanied by vertebral rotation in the transverse plane and hypokyphosis in the sagittal plane. Based on the age of presentation, scoliosis is further categorized as infantile, juvenile or adolescent idiopathic. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has the highest prevalence of the three categories. This type of scoliosis is present at age ten and lasts till the end of growth. Its prevalence is dependent on the curvature of the spine and gender of the patient.Objective: The purpose of this review is to evaluate the role of physiotherapy in reducing curve progression and pain, postponing or avoiding invasive treatment and improve the quality of life in adolescents with AIS.Methodology: The study is a Systematic Review, meta-analytic type, consisting of 5 studies (RCT) of the last ten years, which focus on the impact of physiotherapy in AIS. Studies include 210 patients evaluated and treated by physiotherapist, divided into 2 groups: experimental and control group. The measurement and rehabilitation includes Cobb angle, pain and quality of life. Data was extracted from medical websites and scientific journals. The evaluation was realized with the PEDro scale, which shows the validity of each study.Results: The literature used in the study claimed that physiotherapist in AIS reduces pain and Cobb angle and improve QoL (p<0.05). The 5 studies had an average PEDro score of 5.6/10.Conclusions: Evidence suggests that physiotherapy is good at reducing the Cobb angle, pain and improving the quality of life in patients with AIS. Scientific research on this topic is limited, so it is suggested to increase research, especially now that AIS incidence is higher.Keywords: physiotherapy, scoliosis, Schroth, Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis