Effectiveness of abdominal bracing core exercises as rehabilitation therapy for reducing abdominal symptoms in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and significant polycystic liver disease

In patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) who also have polycystic liver disease (PLD), organomegaly often leads to abdominal symptoms. Abdominal bracing core (ABC) exercises have been validated as effective for alleviating chronic back pain. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of ABC rehabilitation exercises in reducing pain in ADPKD patients with significant PLD. Significant PLD was defined as a height-adjusted total liver volume (htTLV) exceeding 1,600 mL/m. Both the control groups (<i>n</i> = 11) and intervention (<i>n</i> = 12) and received an outpatient consultation on nutrition and exercise; however, only the intervention group participated in ABC exercises. After a 3-month biweekly intervention, changes in pain assessed by the Korean Oswestry Disability Index, abdominal symptoms, quality of life (QoL) by the second version of the short-form 36-item Health Survey, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) were analyzed. The participants comprised 23 individuals (male: 4, female: 19). Their mean age was 54, and the mean ± SD of htTLV was 2,706 ± 1,335 mL/m. The mean ± SD of eGFR was 53.9 ± 29.0 mL/min/1.73 m². After the intervention, pain and pressure-related symptoms significantly decreased in some cases; however, gastrointestinal symptoms did not improve. Pain (control vs. intervention: -1.9 vs. 1.0) and QoL (1.20 vs. 0.93) and showed significant improvements. The results of BIA indicated a noticeable change in the soft lean mass of the proximal body (0.4 vs. -0.2). Our study demonstrates that ABC exercise is effective in alleviating pain and increasing soft lean mass in ADPKD patients who have significant PLD.