Short-Term Benefit from Core Stabilization Exercises in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background. Idiopathic scoliosis may affect adolescents’ physical development. This systematic review and meta-analysis determined the effectiveness of core stabilization exercises in improving clinical symptoms of idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents. Methods. We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase for randomized controlled studies investigating core stabilization exercise and idiopathic scoliosis. Two investigators independently extracted data based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the selected literature and we performed a meta-analysis to assess the clinical utility of core stabilization exercise for the improvement of patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 statistic. Results. This systematic review and meta-analysis included 9 studies. Three of the studies revealed that core stabilization exercise improved Cobb’s angle (SMD: −1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI): (−1.41, −0.72), and $P<0.001$ ) in adolescents’ idiopathic scoliosis, but the subgroup analysis showed no significant difference in Cobb’s angle in the thoracic and lumbar segments (SMD: −0.25, 95% CI: (−0.55, 0.04), and $P=0.89$ ). In the angle of trunk rotation subgroup analyses (SMD: 0.35, 95% CI: (−0.01, 0.72), and $P=0.33$ ), there was no significant difference before and after core stabilization exercise treatment. Conclusions. The results showed a very short-term effect of core stabilization exercise on patients with idiopathic scoliosis. However, this study contains a relatively short period of research and more long-term research is needed in the future to support this conclusion.