Global Postural Re-education in non-specific neck and low back pain treatment: A pilot study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Spinal pain is an important public health issue that brings biopsychosocial problems. Global Postural Re-education (GPR) is one of its treatments. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effects of GPR on pain, flexibility, and posture of individuals with non-specific low back pain and/or neck pain for more than six weeks. METHODS: The study enrolled 18 individuals, which were randomized into two groups: GPR group (GPRG; n= 09), submitted to 10 sessions of GPR and control group (CG; n= 09), not submitted to any technique. The evaluations were done before and after the GPRG sessions, for pain perception (Visual Analogue Scale – VAS), flexibility (finger-floor test) and posture (SAPO). The re-evaluation was done in the GPRG after the end of 10 treatment sessions and, in the GC, after the time equivalent to 10 sessions. The level of significance was set at p< 0.05. RESULTS: This pilot study has no homogeneity between groups. GPRG presented improvement in pain and flexibility, but showed no changes in posture. In the CG, there was no difference in the variables evaluated in this study. CONCLUSION: GPR had positive effects on pain and flexibility, but did not present a significant effect on posture.

Effects of Global Postural Reeducation versus Specific Therapeutic Neck Exercises on Pain, Disability, Postural Control, and Neuromuscular Efficiency in Women with Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: Study Protocol for a Randomized, Parallel, Clinical Trial

“…Additionally, although there is little previous evidence, results from previous studies with GPR have shown effects not only on symptom improvement, such as pain and functionality [55,56], but have also had effects on patient body awareness and proprioception associated with breathing and joint decompression [68,75,76]. Thus, in our study we anticipated that GPR would improve postural stability.…”

“…Global postural reeducation (GPR) is a conservative treatment that we can consider as a global postural exercise method, and widely used in physical therapy clinical practice in many countries [55,56]. Some studies support the clinical effectiveness of GPR in treating patients with different musculoskeletal disorders and impairments [57][58][59][60][61][62][63], including cranio-cervico-mandibular complex [64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72]. The main aims of GPR are to reduce postural impairments and regain muscle symmetry and adequate posture through global active muscular stretching postures and joint decompressions, with breath control, motor control, contractions of antagonist muscles, and sensory integration exercises conducted by manual contacts in order to provide proprioceptive information to the patient [61,[73][74][75][76][77].…”

“…Therefore, this randomized parallel clinical trial will aim to evaluate the benefits of GPR and STE, as two different exercise modalities, the former more dynamic [46,47,49,54], and the latter more static/postural [61,73,77], considering that both have mechanisms of action targeting symptomatology [46,47,55,56] and muscle efficiency [46,54,68]. So, pain, disability, postural control, neuromuscular function, and the correlations between them will be assessed in women with chronic non-specific cervical pain.…”

Analysis of The Global Posture of College Students With Chronic Neck Pain

“…Neck pain may occur as a result of imbalances in the biomechanics of the neck and abnormalities in the entire alignment throughout the body. Recent studies have shown that global posture re-education is an effective treatment for chronic pain, including neck and low back pain [12][13][14] . Meanwhile, some studies have provided evidence that ergonomic assistive devices are useful for correcting poor posture [15] .…”

Efectos de la reeducación postural global y el ejercicio terapéutico sobre el dolor de cuello, la discapacidad, el control postural y eficiencia neuromuscular de los músculos flexores cervicales superficiales en mujeres con dolor de cuello crónico inespecífico

“…Estudios previos con RPG han mostrado no solo efectos en la mejoría de los síntomas, como el dolor y la funcionalidad [138,139], sino que también ha habido efectos en la conciencia corporal del paciente y la propiocepción asociada con la respiración y descompresión articular [147,154,155]. Los pocos estudios que han examinado el efecto de la RPG en el dolor de cuello crónico inespecífico han mostrado resultados positivos para aliviar el dolor, disminuir y aumentar la flexibilidad y la movilidad del cuello [152,154,156]. No obstante, los estudios sobre RPG deben interpretarse con cautela debido a la heterogeneidad de los resultados y la baja calidad de los ensayos clínicos [138,139].…”