High & Low Intensity Pilates Similarly Improve Pain & Disability in Chronic Low Back Pain .
High-intensity and low-intensity Pilates have similar effects on pain and disability in people with chronic non-specific low back pain: a randomised trial.
J Physiother. 2025 Apr;71(2):100-107.One hundred and sixty-eight patients with chronic non-specific low back pain were randomised to receive either high-intensity Pilates (n=91) or low-intensity Pilates (n=79), with each group performing one-hour sessions twice weekly for six weeks. The primary outcomes of interest were pain intensity and disability scores at the end of the 6-week intervention. Secondary outcomes included patient-specific functional ability, kinesiophobia, and isometric hip strength at 6 weeks. Outcomes were further assessed at 6 and 12 months. Overall, the results of the study revealed that high- and low-intensity Pilates had similar effects on pain, disability, and other outcomes, with negligible differences between groups throughout the study period. The key finding is that low-intensity Pilates was associated with fewer side effects, suggesting it may be the preferred approach for managing chronic non-specific low back pain.
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