Effects of an 8-week exercise with Physioball on the correction of thoracic kyphosis, balance and quality of life in addicted men after quitting drugs

Introduction: Exercise and physical activity have the potential of improving the health status and quality of life of addicted people. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of an 8-week exercise therapy program with that of physioball on the correction of thoracic kyphosis, increasing balance (static and dynamic) and improving the quality of life of addicted men after withdrawing drugs.Materials and Methods: 30 men with kyphosis, who aged 20 to 40 years, were selected through convenient sampling method and then randomly divided into experimental and control groups. All subjects completed their addiction treatment two months prior to the initiation of the study. Kyphosis degree, dynamic balance, static balance and quality of life were respectively measured by flexible ruler, Star excursion balance test (STEB), Romberg test and Quality of Life Questionnaire-Short Form (SF-36). Having signed a formal contest, subjects received their special training under supervision of a corrective and therapeutic exercise expert three sessions a week over 8 weeks. Each session lasted 30 to 90 min. Repeated measure ANOVA was used for statistical analysis with P ≤ 0.05.Results: The changes and interactions of all three variables of balance and quality of life were significant in the exercise group upon comparing pre- and post-test results (P < 0.05). This meant that applied exercise had brought about a positive effect. Between-group differences were not significant in any of variables (P > 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the physioball program is competent in improving thoracic kyphosis abnormality and increasing balance and the quality of life of the addicted and it can be used as an effective and suitable complementary method for rehabilitating addicted people in addiction treatment centers. Keywords: Addiction, Physioball, Kyphosis, Balance, Quality of life