Effectiveness of mat Pilates or equipment-based Pilates exercises in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain:
Maurício Antônio da Luz1, Leonardo Oliveira Pena Costa, Fernanda Ferreira Fuhro
1M.A. da Luz Jr, PT, MS, Master's and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Background:
The Pilates method has been widely used to treat patients with chronic low back pain. Pilates exercises can be performed in 2 ways: by using specific equipment or without it (also known as mat Pilates). There are no studies, however, that have compared the effectiveness of mat Pilates with that of equipment-based Pilates.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of mat Pilates and equipment-based Pilates in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.
Design:
A 2-arm randomized controlled trial with a blinded assessor was conducted.
Setting:
The study was conducted at a private physical therapy clinic in Brazil.
Patients:
Eighty-six patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain participated.
Intervention:
The patients were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups: a mat Pilates group (n=43) and an equipment-based Pilates group (n=43). The participants in both groups attended 12 Pilates sessions over a period of 6 weeks.
Measurements:
The primary outcomes were pain intensity and disability. The secondary outcomes were global perceived effect, patient's specific disability, and kinesiophobia. A blinded assessor evaluated the outcomes at baseline and 6 weeks and 6 months after randomization.
Results:
After 6 months, there was a statistically significant difference for disability (mean difference=3.0 points, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.6 to 5.4), specific disability (mean difference=-1.1 points, 95% CI=-2.0 to -0.1), and kinesiophobia (mean difference=4.9 points, 95% CI=1.6 to 8.2) in favor of equipment-based Pilates. No differences were found for the remaining outcomes.
Conclusions:
Equipment-based Pilates was superior to mat Pilates in the 6-month follow-up for the outcomes of disability and kinesiophobia. These benefits were not observed for pain intensity and global perceived effect in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.
