Improving postural symmetry in children with postural disorders through physical exercise

The article presents the results of a pedagogical experiment aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a targeted corrective exercise program for middle school students with initial postural deviations consistent with early-stage scoliosis. The study involved 16 pupils aged 10–12 years (8 boys and 8 girls) who participated in an 8-week intervention, with training sessions held three times per week, each lasting 55 minutes. The exercise program was developed with consideration of modern kinesiological approaches and included lying-position exercises, spinal unloading on the Evminov board, and dynamic neuromuscular mobilization using Stick Mobility techniques. Postural assessments were performed using three methods: visual analysis of postural symmetry (shoulder level, scapular alignment, waist triangle symmetry), scoliometry (Adams forward- bending test), and laser-based plumb line evaluation of spinal deviation in the frontal plane. The analysis of pre- and post-intervention data revealed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in all primary postural indicators. Specifically, shoulder and scapular symmetry increased, waist triangle asymmetry decreased, and spinal rotation angles (measured by scoliometer) were reduced from moderate to minimal values in most participants. These changes were consistent across both genders, confirming the effectiveness of individualized, structured physical intervention in addressing postural disorders during school age. The findings support the implementation of corrective physical programs within school-based rehabilitation systems and align with international practices in pediatric physiotherapy aimed at postural symmetry restoration and prevention of scoliosis progression.