Why Use the Flexible Curve?
This teaching disc on the flexible curve measurement of kypholordosis was produced by the American Physical Therapy Association, Section on Geriatrics, Osteoporosis Special Interest Group.

Physical therapy interventions for treatment of impaired spinal posture need to be determined through the use of evidence-based evaluation procedures. Utilization of the flexible curve procedure is an efficient and cost effective method for obtaining valid and reproducible objective measurements of individuals with kypholordosis.

The rationale, measurement process, and 4 different patient examples of kypholordosis
measurement using a flexible curve  are presented in this disc.

This disc has been authored by Carleen Lindsey, PT, MS, GCS, one of our members who has been utilizing the flexible curve for patient spinal posture assessment since 1978. She has been teaching the technique to therapists for several decades, and has found it takes about 2 hours in the classroom to adequately teach the procedure to therapists. This disc has been created in hopes that therapists can learn the technique without having to attend a continuing education course. By demonstrating the procedure on four different patients, with four different types of kypholordosis, the fundamentals of the flexible curve measurement technique can be learned.

Appropriate patients
Any patient for whom an abnormal kypholordosis is identified as a problem during examination is an appropriate patient for a flexible curve measurement. Impairment examples include osteoporotic kyphosis, impaired spinal posture due to arthritis or injury, discogenically impaired posture, and abnormal postures secondary to Parkinson’s Disease, spinal stenosis and many other disorders.

For purchase information:

Visit this website: http://www.geriatricspt.org/str/index.cfm?lru=2
or Contact Jess Sabo, APTA SOG executive director
800-999-2782 ext 3238 (jessicasabo@apta.org)