The effect of the 'trunk-curl' exercise on Crohn's disease

Item

Title
The effect of the 'trunk-curl' exercise on Crohn's disease
Author(s)
Mencer Sabrina
Abstract
Objectives The aims of this study are to:
Investigate the effect of the trunk-curl exercise on the severity of symptoms in subjects suffering from Crohn's disease (CD).
To give recommendations for future studies to; reduce the severity of symptoms, concerning the study design, length of intervention, number of subjects and the type of intervention and the measurements of the interventions' outcome.
Background Data
Regular exercise protects against diseases associated with chronic low-grade systemic inflammation. The long-term effect of exercise may be attributed to the anti-inflammatory response elicited by an acute bout of exercise. Little research exists regarding the safety of exercise in Crohn's disease and whether or not it bares any effect on the patients' health. Previous research suggests that gentle cardiovascular exercise is adequate to elicit a psychological and physical improvement and does not adversely affect disease activity.
Design
A serial of intervention case studies where subjects were comprised of an incidental sample of CD sufferers.
Subjects
Seven subjects (five males and two females aged between 20 and 45) diagnosed with CD by a gastroenterologist.
Method
Each subject had to fill in a Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) questionnaire. This measured the symptom severity and the quality of life of each subject. They were then shown the trunk-curl exercise and asked to carry out 3 sets of 10 exercises a day over a 6-week period. Each subject then had to fill in a CDAI questionnaire at the end of each week.
The results of the CDAI questionnaires were scored and calculated according to the regulation laid out by the questionnaire.
Results
The results of the CDAI questionnaires from before and after the trunk-curl exercises were compared. Six out of the seven subjects showed a decrease in the severity of their symptoms. The range of improvement was between 65% and 84% (mean = 74.5%). This improvement was found to be significant (P = 0.0426).
When analysing the individual symptom results, most of the symptoms improved in the subjects after the exercise course although none of theses were found to be statistically significant. One subject presented with a worsening of the symptoms while some symptoms failed to show any improvement.
Conclusion
The trunk-curl exercise is effective in reducing the overall severity of symptoms in CD. Future studies of exercised and CD may use the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire to measure the exercises' outcome, should span over at least 8 weeks, include a placebo exercise and a control group of health subjects.
presented at
British College of Osteopathic Medicine
Date Accepted
0
Date Submitted
1.1.1970 00:00:00
Type
osteo_thesis
Language
English
Submitted by:
62
Pub-Identifier
13683
Inst-Identifier
1076
Recommended
0
Item sets
Thesis

Mencer Sabrina, “The effect of the 'trunk-curl' exercise on Crohn's disease”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.org/s/orw/item/1074