By For the millions of people who suffer from chronic low back pain, they know the toll that it can take on their life. Not only can it lead to disability, but most people find that it hampers their ability to engage in activities they usually enjoy, ultimately diminishing their quality of life.
There have been several research articles come out this year that have given a nod to the use of Pilates therapy to help those with chronic low back pain find relief.
In a study published in the June 2018 issue of Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, researchers shared their findings from working with a 24-year old patient who had chronic low back and right hip pain following transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (1). The patient, who had experienced the pain for 17 months, engaged in a 22-session Pilates therapy course. During that time, the patient had complete resolution of the hip pain and was left with intermittent low back pain.
In another study published in the April 2018 issue of Clinical Rehabilitation, researchers shared their findings from a 12-week study that included 64 patients with chronic low back pain (2). They took half of the patients and put them on a 12-week Pilates treatment regime, leaving the other half as the control group.
They measured for disability, pain, and kinesiophobia, which is a fear of pain from movement. At the 6-week mark, they observed a major change in disability and kinesiophobia, with only a slight but statistically significant improvement at the 12-week mark. They concluded that Pilates is effective at managing disability, pain, and kinesiophobia related to non-specific chronic low back pain.
Finally, there was a study published in January 2018 in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, where researchers reviewed 23 studies that had been done on using Pilates as a treatment for pain and disability from 2005-2016 (3). They concluded that Pilates as a rehabilitation tool has been shown to be effective, particularly in the areas of treating pain and disability.
This is promising news for those who have chronic low back pain. Engaging in Pilates may bring about some major changes after doing it for six weeks. For those unfamiliar with the practice, Pilates is a low impact exercise program that designed by Joseph Pilates that has been designed to improve physical strength, flexibility, and posture. If you’d like to give it a try, look for classes being offered at your local health clubs, YMCA, senior centers, yoga centers, or online.
