Espí-López Gemma Victoria, Fuentes-Aparicio Laura, Cogollos-de-la-Peña Rocío, Monzani Lucas, Marques-Sule Elena, Pavlu Dagmar, Arnal-Gómez Anna
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Gascó Oliag St., 5., 46010 Valencia, Spain.
Exercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
Life (Basel). 2025 May 23;15(6):844. doi: 10.3390/life15060844.
Aging is associated with musculoskeletal pain and postural adaptations which may affect functionality. This study aims to analyse the effect of a combined protocol of self-assisted manual therapy and high-intensity walking on musculoskeletal back pain, functionality, and shoulder posture in older adults, and to establish the short- and medium-term effects of this program.
A multicentre, double-blind, randomized trial was conducted on older adults. The sample was divided into two groups: the self-assisted manual therapy plus walking at high-intensity group (MTWG) and the Control Group (CG), with the latter undergoing supervised high-intensity walking only. Pain (Pressure Pain Threshold and Visual Analogue Scale), functional capacity (5-times sit-to-stand test), and change in thorax position (acromion position) were assessed at T0 (baseline), T1 (after 4-week intervention) and T2 (follow-up, 4 weeks after the end of the intervention).
A total of 95 older adults (41 in the MTWG and 54 in CG) completed the study and were analyzed. After isolating the effect of correlations among our primary outcomes, our analysis revealed statistically significant between-subject ( < 0.01), within-subject ( < 0.001) and between-within subject differences ( < 0.05) in Pressure Pain Threshold scores in favour of the MTWG. We also detected within-subjects ( < 0.001) and between-within subject differences ( < 0.05) in scores for the Visual Analogue Scale, in favour of the MTWG. These patterns of results remained stable at T2. The 5-times sit-to-stand test ( < 0.01) and the acromion position ( < 0.05) improved at T1 for the MTWG but not at T2.
A combined protocol of self-assisted manual therapy and high-intensity walking, compared to high-intensity walking alone, improved musculoskeletal pain, functionality, and posture in older adults in the short term (over one month), with pain reduction maintained in the medium term (at the one-month follow-up).
衰老与肌肉骨骼疼痛及姿势适应性改变相关，这可能会影响功能。本研究旨在分析自我辅助手法治疗与高强度步行联合方案对老年人肌肉骨骼背痛、功能及肩部姿势的影响，并确定该方案的短期和中期效果。
对老年人进行了一项多中心、双盲、随机试验。样本分为两组：自我辅助手法治疗加高强度步行组（MTWG）和对照组（CG），后者仅进行有监督的高强度步行。在T0（基线）、T1（4周干预后）和T2（干预结束后4周随访）时评估疼痛（压力痛阈和视觉模拟评分）、功能能力（5次坐立试验）和胸廓位置变化（肩峰位置）。
共有95名老年人（MTWG组41名，CG组54名）完成研究并接受分析。在分离主要结局之间的相关性影响后，我们的分析显示，压力痛阈评分在组间（<0.01）、组内（<0.001）以及组间与组内差异方面（<0.05）具有统计学意义，支持MTWG组。我们还检测到视觉模拟评分在组内（<0.001）和组间与组内差异方面（<0.05）支持MTWG组。这些结果模式在T2时保持稳定。MTWG组在T1时5次坐立试验（<0.01）和肩峰位置（<0.05）有所改善，但在T2时未改善。
与单独的高强度步行相比，自我辅助手法治疗与高强度步行联合方案在短期内（超过一个月）改善了老年人的肌肉骨骼疼痛、功能和姿势，且在中期（一个月随访时）疼痛减轻情况得以维持。
