8주간 척추 수기요법이 성인여성의 경추와 어깨 및 골반 기울기에 미치는 효과

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate cervical, left-right shoulder, and left-right pelvic gradients as indicators of postural alignment to determine the ability of spinal manual therapy to improve and correct postural imbalances. This study recruited women in their 20s and 30s who underwent spinal manual therapy for 30 min three times a week for 8 weeks. The therapy included techniques such as effleurage, friction, petrissage, and compression. Using the Bodystyle system (Mzen, Seoul, Korea), which connects the center points of each joint to the horizontal line for comparison, we measured and analyzed the subjects' cervical, shoulder, and pelvic gradients. The data were processed using SPSS 29.0 for Windows utilizing a paired t-test to compare the cervical, shoulder, and pelvic gradient measurements before and after the spinal manual therapy. The significance level was verified at α=.05. The postural alignment measurements before and after the 8-week therapy are as follows. The mean cervical gradient values were 25.32±11.94 mm and 12.51±7.11 mm pre- versus post-therapy, showing a statistically significant improvement toward balance (t=5.793, p<.001). The mean shoulder gradient values were 2.38±1.25° and 0.77±0.66° pre- versus post-therapy, showing a statistically significant improvement toward balance (t=7.707, p<.001). The mean pelvic gradient values were 1.89±1.04° and 0.56±0.48° pre- versus post-therapy, showing a statistically significant improvement toward balance (t=5.125, p<.001). These findings suggest that spinal manual therapy for 8 weeks had positive preventive and corrective effects on postural imbalances in women.