This study aimed to compare radiographic and clinical outcomes of scoliosis and thoracic hyperkyphosis before and after stretching-based exercises.

Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were comprehensively searched for relevant studies from their inception to June 2022. Radiographic outcomes, including the Cobb angle of the main curve and thoracic kyphosis, and clinical outcomes, including the angle of trunk rotation (ATR), chest expansion, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and Scoliosis Research Society-22 Patient Questionnaire (SRS-22), were extracted. Pooled and subgroup analyses were performed using random or fixed-effects models based on I² heterogeneity.

In total, 334 patients from ten studies, including 255 patients with scoliosis and 79 patients with thoracic hyperkyphosis, were included in the meta-analysis. After stretching, the pooled results showed that the Cobb angle of the main curve and thoracic kyphosis significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in patients with scoliosis, and thoracic kyphosis, respectively. Angle of trunk rotation (ATR) decreased significantly (P = 0.003), and chest expansion improved significantly (P = 0.04) after stretching-based exercise. In addition, our pooled results showed that the NRS score was significantly reduced (P < 0.001) and that the SRS-22 scores of mental health (P = 0.003) and self-perceived image (P < 0.001) were significantly increased after stretching.

Partial correction can be achieved using stretching-based exercises. Moreover, stretching-based exercises can reduce pain in patients and improve their quality of life. However, the optimal duration required further elucidation.