Increased spinal mobility in adolescents with bronchial asthma.

Spinal mobility was measured in thirty-five adolescents (21 boys and 14 girls) with bronchial asthma. Comparisons were carried out with an equal number of healthy controls matched for sex, age, weight, and height. Thoracic spinal movements of rotation and lateral flexion in girls and of rotation in boys were significantly greater in asthmatics as were the sagittal lumbar movements with the exception of forward flexion in the boys. Sagittal spinal curvatures of the asthmatics did not significantly differ from those of the controls. The results indicate that there are no need of explicit mobilization of thoracic spine in asthmatic children.