Masharawi Y.1, Dar G.2, Goldberg N.1
1Tel Aviv University, Physiotherapy, Tel Aviv Jaffa, Israel, 2Haifa University, Physiotherapy, Haifa, Israel
Background: LBP is a common health problem in the western world. About 70-85% of the population will experience LBP at least once during their lives. There are many ways and treatments concerning LBP which their efficacy isn't high and even quite low when they become chronic. On the other hand, rehabilitative exercises have significant advantages when treating LBP in terms of pain management and function. The Pilates method has become popular in the last decades. It gives an answer to the physical and mental aspects of pain and combines strengthening, flexibility and concentration. The Pilates method now days is combined into the treatment fields for CLBP but the efficacy and positive effect on CLBP has yet been proved on pain, function, ranges of motion and most of all the cross section of the transversus abdominus (TrA).
Purpose: To examine whether training in the Pilates method as a defined protocol effects the cross section of the TrA, postural and functional aspects in CLBP and healthy population.
Methods: The research included women with CLBP (n=22) and healthy women (n=18) between 25-60 years old who were first introduced to the Pilates method. The measurements included pain (vas), function (Roland Morris disability questionnaire, thoracic kyphosis angle, TrA cross section during rest and ADIM (active drag-in maneuver) with ultrasound in three different locations. All measurements were taken before and after 6 weeks of group practice.
Results: No difference was found between right and left in all TrA cross section measurements in both groups (p>0.05). Before the Intervention no difference was found in TrA cross section between both groups. After the Intervention there was a significant Increase (p 0.05) in TrA cross section in rest in both groups, except for two locations. The TrA cross section in these locations was significantly smaller in the CLBP group. In ADIM after the Intervention there was a significant increase in TrA cross section. Moreover there was no TrA cross section difference between groups and locations (p 0.05). No significant change was found in pain, function and kyphosis angle before and after the intervention.
Conclusion(s): Pilates group practice increases TrA cross section during ADIM in CLBP & healthy women. In rest, TrA cross section increases in all locations after intervention in healthy women but only in one location in CLBP women. Function, pain and kyphosis did not change.
Implications: Six weeks of Pilates group practice are not enough to influence function in CLBP women although the TrA changes morphologically.
Funding acknowledgements: No Funding
Topic: Musculoskeletal: spine
Ethics approval: The Tel Aviv University Ethical Committee
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
