Effects of a six-week Pilates intervention on balance and fear of falling in women aged over 65 with chronic low-back pain: A randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effects of six weeks of Pilates regarding functional balance, fear of falling and pain in community living women older than 65 years old with chronic low-back pain.


METHODS
A single blind controlled randomized trial of six weeks of Pilates in addition to physiotherapy treatment (n=50) vs. physiotherapy treatment alone (n=47) was conducted on 97 community living women (71.14 ± 3.30 years) with chronic low-back pain (CLBP).


METHODS
Main outcome measures were fear of falling (FoF), assessed by the Falls Efficacy Scale-international; functional mobility and balance, measured with the Timed up and Go Test; and pain, evaluated using the numeric rating scale.


RESULTS
Only the Pilates group showed improvement in FoF (ES; d=.68) and functional mobility and balance (ES; d=1.12) after treatment, and also had better results in pain (ES; d=1.46) than the physiotherapy-only group.


CONCLUSIONS
Six weeks of Pilates exercises may be effective in fall prevention through the improvement of FoF, functional balance, and pain in Spanish women over 65 years old with CLBP.
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain.
David
D
Cruz-Díaz
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain.
Antonio
A
Martínez-Amat
Department of Psychology, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain.
Manuel J
MJ
De la Torre-Cruz
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain.
Rafael A
RA
Casuso
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
Nicolás Mendoza Ladrón
NM
de Guevara
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain. Electronic address: fhita@ujaen.es.
Fidel
F
Hita-Contreras
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D026241:Exercise Movement Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D004856:Postural Balance; D016037:Single-Blind Method
Balance; Chronic low back pain; Fall prevention; Fear of falling; Older; Pilates