Pilates Improve Low Back Pain

2014-08-06 12:07:12

A recently published study evaluated the effectiveness of Pilates exercise in people with chronic low back pain through a systematic review (1). This means that multiple randomized controlled trials were examined and this usually eliminates many sources of possible bias. The authors searched 10 separate medical databases and two independent reviewers analyzed the evidence. Of a possible 152 studies, 14 randomized controlled trials were applicable and were included (the authors determined applicable studies by using the McMaster Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies). The quality of the studies themselves ranged from ‘poor’ to ‘excellent’. The results showed that Pilates exercise provided statistically significant improvements in pain and functional ability compared to usual care and physical activity between 4 and 15 weeks, but not at 24 weeks. There were no consistent differences in improvements between Pilates versus massage therapy or other forms of exercise at any time period. The authors conclude that Pilates exercise offers great improvements in pain and functional ability compared to usual care and physical activity in the short term, but that these benefits are equivalent to massage therapy and other forms of exercise.