Kwok Boon Chong, Soh Rachel En Che, Smith Helen Elizabeth, Kong Pui Wah
Physical Education and Sports Science Department, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore; Rehabilitation, Clinical Pilates Family Physiotherapy, 079906, Singapore.
Health and Social Sciences (Physiotherapy), Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore 138683, Singapore.
Gait Posture. 2025 Jun;119:127-134. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.02.025. Epub 2025 Feb 27.
Pilates is a frequently used management strategy for chronic low back pain for its efficacy in pain relief and function. However, movement performance changes such as single-leg squat have not been studied. It is also unclear if simple movement-specific Pilates exercises lead to changes in lower back or hamstrings flexibility. This study investigated the immediate changes in postural sway of single-leg squat, hamstrings flexibility and lumbar flexion flexibility after a brief session of Clinical Pilates exercises in adults with non-specific chronic low back pain.
Forty adults with chronic low back pain were assessed on single-leg squat postural sway, hamstrings flexibility and lumbar flexion flexibility. Participants were then assessed with Clinical Pilates assessment to identify movements that are easy to do and pain-free. One to four Pilates exercises based on the identified movements were then prescribed as the intervention. A post-intervention assessment concluded the session. Repeated measures statistical tests were used to study changes over time and between the problem and non-problem sides for postural sway parameters and hamstrings flexibility. A paired sample t-test was used to evaluate lumbar flexion flexibility changes.
The participants showed statistically significant improvements on the problem side in three postural sway variables - vertical force variance, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.39, terminal knee flexion angle, p = 0.004, η2 = 0.19, and squat duration, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.29. They also improved their hamstrings flexibility, p = 0.004, η2 = 0.2, and lumbar flexion flexibility, mean difference = 0.64 cm [95 % CI: 0.49, 0.79] cm, p < 0.001.
A brief session of Clinical Pilates exercises enabled individuals with chronic low back pain to squat deeper and faster while maintaining the same level of postural stability.
普拉提因其在缓解疼痛和改善功能方面的功效，是慢性下腰痛常用的管理策略。然而，诸如单腿深蹲等运动表现变化尚未得到研究。同样不清楚的是，简单的特定运动普拉提练习是否会导致下背部或腘绳肌柔韧性的变化。本研究调查了非特异性慢性下腰痛成人在进行简短的临床普拉提练习后，单腿深蹲姿势摆动、腘绳肌柔韧性和腰椎前屈柔韧性的即时变化。
对40名慢性下腰痛成人进行单腿深蹲姿势摆动、腘绳肌柔韧性和腰椎前屈柔韧性评估。然后对参与者进行临床普拉提评估，以确定易于进行且无疼痛的动作。然后根据确定的动作规定一到四项普拉提练习作为干预措施。干预后评估结束该阶段。采用重复测量统计检验来研究姿势摆动参数和腘绳肌柔韧性随时间以及问题侧和非问题侧之间变化。使用配对样本t检验来评估腰椎前屈柔韧性变化。
参与者在问题侧的三个姿势摆动变量上有统计学显著改善——垂直力方差，p<0.001，η2 = 0.39；终末膝关节屈曲角度，p = 0.004，η2 = 0.19；以及深蹲持续时间，p<0.001，η2 = 0.29。他们的腘绳肌柔韧性也有所改善，p = 0.004，η2 = 0.2，腰椎前屈柔韧性也有所改善，平均差异 = 0.64厘米[95%置信区间：0.49, 0.79]厘米，p<0.001。
简短的临床普拉提练习使慢性下腰痛患者能够在保持相同姿势稳定性水平的同时，更深更快地进行深蹲。
