Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2025
Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
Effectiveness of Pilates compared with home-based exercises in individuals with chronic non-specific low back pain:
Caroline Ribeiro Tottoli1,2,3, Ângela Jornada Ben4, Everton Nunes da Silva2,3
1Doctoral Program in Physical Education, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil.
Objective:
To investigate the effectiveness of a Pilates exercise program compared with home-based exercises in individuals with chronic non-specific low back pain.
Design:
A randomised controlled trial with a six-month follow-up.
Setting:
Rehabilitation clinic.
Participants:
One hundred and forty-five individuals (18-50 years of age) with low back pain for ≥ 12 consecutive weeks were enrolled and randomly allocated to either Pilates (n = 72) or home-based exercise groups (n = 73).
Interventions:
Method Pilates (Mat Pilates exercises using accessories) versus home-based exercise (postural exercises, muscle stretching and strengthening, and spine stabilisation/mobilisation), twice a week, for 6 weeks.
Main Measures:
Assessments were performed at baseline, post-intervention, and six months follow-up. Outcomes were pain intensity, disability, and health-related quality of life.
Results:
At post-intervention, the Pilates group had significantly lower pain intensity (mean difference = -1.14; 95% CI -2.05; -0.23), less disability (mean difference = -6.7; 95% CI -11.3; -2.0), and higher health-related quality of life (mean difference = 0.102; 95% CI 0.054; 0151) compared to the home-based exercise group. At follow-up, the Pilates group had a significantly higher health-related quality of life (mean difference = 0.055; 95% CI 0.003; 0.106) compared with the home-based exercise group but there were no significant differences in pain and disability. A significant overall effect of Pilates compared to home-based exercise was found for disability (mean difference = -4.4; 95% CI -7.6; -1.1), and health-related quality of life (mean difference = 0.049; 95% CI 0.022; 0.076), but not for pain.
Conclusion:
Although Pilates was significantly superior to home exercise for pain and disability, the differences were not considered clinically relevant. However, Pilates did provide significant and clinically relevant differences in utility.
