Changes in Sagittal Spine Posture and Flexibility on Adolescents
Condition: Adolescent Behavior
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Several research show a high prevalence of spinal misalignments and a lack of stability of
      the spine in the adolescent population. In addition, back pain in adolescents is correlated
      with a longer time spent in sedentary activities, less time of physical activity, higher BMI,
      body fat percentage and / or the waist-hip index.

      Therefore, the main aim of this project were assess the effect of a 10-minute Pilates program
      carried out in the final part of the Physical Education sessions for 4.5 months and 9 months
      on back pain, quality of life, sagittal spine curvature, hamstring extensibility, BMI, body
      fat percentage and the waist-hip index.

      The present research will be elaborated by a quasi-experimental design, with experimental
      group (GE) and control group (CG); with pre-test, intermediate and post-test.

      The inclusion criteria will be: a) being in Compulsory Secondary Education; b) not present
      any musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiological, metabolic, rheumatic or previous history of
      spinal pathologies or with previous treatment; c) be active in the sessions of Physical
      Education.

      It was assessed back pain with Back Pain Survey in adolescents. Quality of life was assessed
      through the Kidscreen-27 questionnaire. To assess the sagittal spinal curvatura (in several
      positions) the Spinal Mouse System (Idiag, Fehraltdorf, Switzerland) was used.

      The extensibility of hamstring muscle was assessed with seat and reach test, toe touch test
      and active and passive straight leg raising test.

      The sedentary lifestyle as well as the level of physical activity will be evaluated through
      the Adolescent International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).

      The body mass index will be obtained by recording weight and height (BMI = Weight (kg) /
      height (cm) 2).

      The waist-hip ratio is the quotient between waist and hip circumferences, which is an
      indirect marker of intra-abdominal obesity.

      The intervention program consisted on performance of exercises of the Pilates Method during
      the sessions of Physical Education, 32 weeks, two weekly sessions, 10 minutes.
    

Detailed description: 
      A history of back pain during adulthood is related to a history of back pain during
      adolescence. Therefore, preventing back pain in adolescents helps to prevent their appearance
      in adulthood. Sagittal spinal misalignments and stability of the spine are in connection with
      back pain in adolescents. In addition, they influence on several spinal pathologies and
      decrease the functional capacity and quality of life of adolescents.

      Therefore, the objectives of the following project were: a) assess back pain in
      schoolchildren and check their relationship with quality of life, sagittal spine curvature,
      extensibility of the hamstring muscles, sedentary lifestyle, physical activity, BMI ,
      percentage of body fat and the waist-hip index; b) measure the sagittal spinal curvature of
      the schoolchildren, the quality of life and the prevalence of physical activity among
      adolescents and check their relationship with the hamstring extensibility, sedentary
      lifestyle, the BMI , percentage of body fat and the waist-hip index; c) analyze the effect of
      a 10-minute Pilates program carried out in the final part of the Physical Education sessions
      for 4.5 months and 9 months on back pain, quality of life, sagittal spinal curvatures, the
      hamstring flexibility, the BMI, the percentage of body fat and the waist-hip index.

      The present investigation will be elaborated by a quasi-experimental design, with
      experimental group (GE) and control group (CG); with pre-test, intermediate and post-test,
      with analysis of intra-group and inter-group measurements for each of the dependent variables
      selected in the study.

      The inclusion criteria will be: a) being in Compulsory Secondary Education; b) not present
      any musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiological, metabolic, rheumatic or previous history of
      spinal pathologies or with previous treatment; c) be active in the sessions of Physical
      Education.

      It was assessed back pain with Back Pain Survey in adolescents. Quality of life was assessed
      through the Kidscreen-27 questionnaire. To assess the sagittal spinal curvatura (in several
      position) the Spinal Mouse System (Idiag, Fehraltdorf, Switzerland) was used.

      The extensibility of hamstring muscle was assessed with seat and reach test, toe touch test
      and active and passive straight leg raising test.

      The sedentary lifestyle as well as the level of physical activity will be evaluated through
      the Adolescent International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).

      The body mass index will be obtained by recording weight and height (BMI = Weight (kg) /
      height (cm) 2).

      The waist-hip ratio is the quotient between waist and hip circumferences, which is an
      indirect marker of intra-abdominal obesity.

      The intervention program consisted in the realization of exercises of the Pilates Method
      during the sessions of Physical Education. The duration of the program will be 32 weeks, with
      a frequency of two weekly sessions and a duration per intervention of 10 minutes. During this
      time the experimental group developed the intervention program with the Pilates Method and
      the control group carried out their usual sessions of Physical Education . All students to be
      taken into account in the research must have attended and conducted the practice at least 80%
      of sessions. The program consisted of four Pilates exercises, planned with a
      basic-intermediate level, gradually incorporating the Principles of the Pilates Method and
      increasing the intensity of the exercises. Among these four exercises, two focus on the work
      of the resistance of the flexor muscles of the trunk, one in the work of the resistance of
      the trunk extensor musculature and another in the work of hamstring extensibility.The
      exercises will be performed in cool down of the sessions of Physical Education.
    

Intervention name(s): Pilates
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): The intervention program consisted in the realization of exercises of the Pilates Method. The duration of the program was 32 weeks, with a frequency of two weekly sessions and a duration per intervention of 10 minutes. During this time the experimental group developed the intervention program with the Pilates Method.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: spine; extensibility; children; health; pilates; exercise; physical activity; physical education