Supervised strength and mobility exercise prehabilitation interventions

Supervised exercise prehabilitation interventions (strength and mobility training) for patients on wait lists for spinal surgery (18, 19).

Intervention summary:

Two studies (one strong(18) and one moderate quality(19)) examined the effectiveness of supervised exercise prehabilitation interventions, consisting of strength and mobility training, in patients awaiting lumbar spinal stenosis surgery. In both studies, training was tailored to the participants’ needs, took place 6-9 weeks before surgery and was comprised of 2-3 sessions per week. Control groups received usual care.

There is good or moderate quality evidence to suggest that supervised strength and mobility exercise prehabilitation interventions for patients on wait lists for spinal surgery are likely to be ineffective for the following outcome:

Depression and Anxiety:

Might not be effective (two studies; one strong and one moderate quality, both showing no effect for intervention when compared to control) (18, 19).