Does Adding a Pilates Exercise Program Enhance Recovery Outcomes for Sports Hernia? A Randomized Controlled Trial
Hany M Elgohary1,2, Ahmed A Abdelrahim1, Zizi M Ibrahim Ali3
1Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jerash University, Jerash, Jordan.
Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine
|March 30, 2026
Summary
Adding Pilates to physical therapy for sports hernias improved function and hip mobility more than standard treatment alone. While pain relief was modest, the functional gains were clinically significant for athletes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Athletic pubalgia, or sports hernia, is a common cause of chronic groin pain in athletes.
- Current rehabilitation often involves modalities like low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if adding Pilates exercises to LLLT and LIUS enhances outcomes for athletes with sports hernias.
- The study specifically aimed to assess improvements in pain reduction, functional mobility, and hip function.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 88 male athletes diagnosed with sports hernia.
- Participants were assigned to either an experimental group (Pilates + LLLT + LIUS) or a control group (LLLT + LIUS) for 6 weeks.
- Outcomes measured included pain (Visual Analog Scale), functional mobility (Lower Extremity Functional Scale), and hip function (Harris Hip Score).
Main Results:
- Both groups showed significant improvements over time (p < 0.001).
- The experimental group experienced greater pain reduction than the control group (p = 0.003), though not clinically significant.
- The experimental group demonstrated statistically and clinically significant improvements in functional mobility (p < 0.001) and hip function (p < 0.001) compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Integrating Pilates into rehabilitation programs offers modest additional pain relief for sports hernias.
- Pilates incorporation leads to clinically meaningful improvements in functional mobility and hip function.
- Pilates serves as a valuable adjunct to conventional therapies for sports hernia rehabilitation.
