Issue 25-1, 2026

Review

https://doi.org/10.38025/2078-1962-2026-25-1-75-83

Analysis of the Effectiveness of Therapeutic Physical Education in the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Patients with Degenerative Spine Conditions: A Review

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ORCIDNatalia F. Miryutova1,*, ORCIDElena V. Gameeva2, ORCIDAleksandra M. Stepanova2, ORCIDAnna V. Tonkoshkurova1

1 Federal Scientific and Clinical Center of Medical Rehabilitation and Balneology of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, Moscow, Russia
2 National Medical Research Center for Rehabilitation and Balneology, Moscow, Russia


ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION.  Physical education methods are employed widely both in the conservative treatment of degenerative spine conditions and in rehabilitation following surgical interventions.

AIM.  To study the effectiveness of physical exercise on the level of pain and functional limitations, bone mineral density, quality of life in patients with degenerative spine conditions, including those who have undergone surgical treatment, by analyzing materials from systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS.  We studied meta-analyses and systematic reviews published over the past five years (May 2020 — January 2025) on the effectiveness of therapeutic physical education in treating degenerative spine conditions. The following journal articles were reviewed: 128 Russian journals indexed in the Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) and registered in the Science Index, and 303 articles from foreign journals on the PubMed, eLIBRARY.RU, and ResearchGate platforms.

MAIN CONTENT OF THE REVIEW.   Analysis of the results of 53 systematic reviews (including 50 with meta-analysis) showed the effectiveness of the use of physical exercises in terms of pain intensity regression, functional restrictions and increasing the level of vital activity of patients with degenerative spine conditions. Moderate- and low-quality evidence was found in favor of physical exercise for chronic non-specific low back pain and low-quality evidence for chronic neck pain. No convincing data were found for acute and subacute low back pain. Individual studies have yielded encouraging results: pain regression in the postoperative period of discectomies (SMD (standardized mean difference): –0.41; 95% CI (confidence interval): –1.01–0.19; p = 0.18) and reduced disability (p < 0.001) were recorded after 3 and 12 months. There is also low-quality evidence that physical exercise improves patients’ quality of life and bone mineral density.

CONCLUSION.   The review presented evidence derived from meta-analyses and systematic reviews of moderate and low quality, which collectively indicated that physical exercise can alleviate the intensity of chronic non-specific pain and functional limitations in individuals diagnosed with degenerative spine disorders. Furthermore, the review suggested that physical exercise can positively impact bone mineral density, quality of life, and the level of working capacity in patients, including those who have undergone surgical treatment.

KEYWORDS: spine, degenerative conditions, treatment, rehabilitation, physical exercises

FOR CITATION: Miryutova N.F., Gameeva E.V., Stepanova A.M., Tonkoshkurova A.V. Analysis of the Effectiveness of Therapeutic Physical Education in the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Patients with Degenerative Spine Conditions: A Review. Bulletin of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2026; 25(1):75–83. https://doi.org/10.38025/2078-1962-2026-25-1-75-83 (In Russ.).

FOR CORRESPONDENCE:

Natalia F. Miryutova, E-mail: nat.mirut@gmail.com, nauka@niikf.tomsk.ru


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