Pilates may be as helpful as routine treatment for general back pain
Pilates was noted to be as good for easing low back irritation as a frequent health regimen, research has found.
General back irritation affects many people and in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Health, United States 2006" report, general back pain was one of the most common ache-related complaints. But as the authors in this investigation reported, there is argument about which is more beneficial for pain relief: general exercise or specific, independently advised workouts.
Australian experts randomly assigned 44 people to a Pilates regimen and 43 people to a general exercise routine for six weeks. All ranged in age from 18 to 70 and had experienced constant lower back pain for no less than three months. On the whole the study volunteers were somewhat overweight, had a lengthy history of back irritation and about a third were taking painkillers for their problem.
Both fitness programs were done twice a week for an hour, and lasted six weeks. Both were observed, but the
pilates classes group were given personal guidance based on their requirements that involved exercises on the reformer and trapeze apparatus and emphasized fitness movement precision, breathing control, trunk stability and posture alignment.
The regular exercise group were given common workouts that included cardiovascular exercise, stretching, strength training and body toning and resistance. Participants in both assembly were also given workouts to do on their own at home.
They were given questionnaires at six, 12 and 24 weeks that pertained to pain and function and general health-related quality of life.
After six weeks both groups showed considerable advancement in pain and disability compared with the start of the research, but the Pilates subjects had a small advantage over the regular exercise set.
At the start of the experiment experts thought the Pilates subjects might see more development than the normal exercise set. The similar results, they say, could be due to the fact that some people with low back irritation may develop better to Pilates fitness than some subjects, but the sets were very alike to note differences. In Addition, as both exercise regimens involved back workouts they may have been too much alike.
