Kyphosis is Modifiable
Evidence from four studies demonstrated that kyphosis may improve after receiving an exercise intervention. Less consistent evidence suggested a parallel improvement in QOL with the improvement of kyphosis. In two clinical trials of older adults with osteoporosis, an exercise intervention improved kyphosis but showed no impact on the adults’ QOL.31,33 In two RCT designed studies that evaluated an exercise intervention among adolescents8 and older adults,32 the results showed an improvement in the kyphosis angle and QOL measures among participants receiving the intervention compared to no changes among the control group. Although it has been well documented that exercise improves QOL, our results suggest that the improvement in QOL may not be limited to the exercise itself, but also the improvement in posture. For example, the double-blind controlled (but not randomized) study of Jang, Hughes, Oh, Kim32 showed a time*group interaction that supported an association between kyphosis and QOL in spite of exercise in both groups. Moreover, in the study by Noh et al.,8improved QOL was not demonstrated in the control group exercise condition. Thus, kyphosis may be modifiable following an intervention and may be a sensitive indicator of QOL.