EFFECTS OF HYDROKINESIOTHERAPY ON POSTURE AND OSTEOMUSCULAR DISORDERS IN ELDERLY

Abstract

It aims to verify the effect of athe hydrokinesiotherapy program on the posture and musculoskeletal disorders of the elderly at the Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás (UNATI PUC-GO). Quasi-experimental study, lasted four months, twice a week, for fifty minutes. Posture was evaluated by Alcimage 2.1® Computerized Biophotogrammetry and disturbances by the Nordic Questionnaire of Musculoskeletal Symptoms. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS version 23.0, using the Shapiro-Wilk test (n<50) to determine data normality, to compare posture data before and after the program, Student's t -test was used for parametric data and Wilcoxon for non-parametric data and to compare musculoskeletal symptoms before and after the program, the Mcnemar test was used. Adopted significance level p<0.05. The sample was composed of 29 seniors, 27 women, mean age of 69.71 years and, a mean BMI of 27.60 kg/m2. Statistically significant differences were found before and after the program in the posture of the angles of head inclination (p = 0.04), of the iliac crest–ASIS in the right lateral view (p = 0.03), and between the trochanter-line joint in the left lateral view (p = 0.00). Regarding musculoskeletal disorders, no statistically significant differences were found. It was observed that the program was effective in improving the body awareness of the elderly, an extremely important gain for the posture of the elderly.