An interventional study of Pilates Group and Exercise Group in Low Back Pain, sponsored by University of Malta. Status unknown. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-05-02.
Sponsored by University of Malta · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Pilates has emerged as a prominent exercise therapy gaining recognition among healthcare professionals for its potential benefits in managing low back pain (LBP). As healthcare practitioners increasingly incorporate Pilates into clinical practice, understanding its effects on LBP becomes crucial. This study explores the rationale behind Pilates as a therapeutic intervention for LBP, its diverse applications, varying programme durations, and the significance of long-term follow-ups. Through an examination of existing studies, the aim is to unravel the nuanced impact of Pilates on pain intensity, functional disability, and overall quality of life for individuals experiencing LBP. Furthermore, this study addresses gaps in current research, guiding the way for an extended exploration into the ideal duration of Pilates programmes and the implications of sustained, long-term engagement.
Throughout this research study, the following research question was adopted: What is the perception and actual outcomes of a Pilates programme in the management of LBP in the short and long term?
The null hypothesis (H0) for this study was that there is no significant difference following a 12 weeks Pilates programme in all outcome measures. The alternative hypothesis (H1) stated that there is significant difference in outcomes following a 12-week Pilates programme in the management of LBP.
The study will investigate a longitudinal, observational three armed, interventions about the effectiveness of the 12-week pilates programme. The study will be divided in 2 phases. The first phase will seek the perception of people on Pilates in the treatment of LBP using the self-designed Questionnaire 1. The first part of the questionnaire will inquire about their experience with LBP, while the second part will involve questions regarding Pilates as a therapeutic approach.
For the first phase of the study, a minimum number of 140 participants will take part in the study. This was calculated on a total sample of 1052 patients referred for physiotherapy treatment with LBP in the year 2022. A physiotherapist from the Physiotherapy Department at the rehabilitation hospital in-charge of the back clinic shall act as an intermediary. The intermediary will contact the participants in order to deliver Questionnaire 1 either via email or postal mail before the start of any physiotherapy intervention. The questionnaires will be returned to the intermediary based on how they were originally sent, either via email or postal mail, according to the participant's choice. These questionnaire will then be passed on to the researcher for analysis. To ensure participant anonymity, the questionnaires will be coded. The intermediary will be responsible for securely managing and retaining the assigned codes.
The second phase of the study will be the intervention part. A total of 90 participants, who have completed the first phase of the study, will be randomly assigned by an intermediary, who is a physiotherapist, in change of the back clinic at the Physiotherapy Department at St Lukes' Hospital, by using a computer random generator. Simple randomization will be carried out to randomly allow each participant to either one of the 3 groups, that is the Pilates, Exercise or Control group using a computer random generator. This will ensure equal probability of assigning the participants to any group.
Prior to the Pilates intervention, all participants will be screened by the following 4 outcome measures: Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS), RAND 36-Item Health Survey and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). All outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, 4-weeks, 8-weeks, 12-weeks and then again at 24 weeks and 52-weeks post the intervention. To mitigate participant attrition rates, particularly after completing the 12-weeks programme when clinic attendance may become challenging, all outcome measures will be conducted via telephone interviews.
In the second phase of the study, the Pilates intervention group will consist of a twice weekly sessions for a duration of 1 hour each for a period of 12 weeks. These sessions will be conducted at the Physiotherapy Department at St Luke's Hospital and the physiotherapist, who is the main researcher will be leading the Pilates sessions. The exercise group will also receive a twice weekly session, each lasting 1 hour for a duration of 12 weeks. This group will be assigned general exercises for the low back, which will also be supervised and directed by the primary researcher. The control group, on the other hand will include patients who either opt not to do the exercises or are on the waiting list for physiotherapy treatment. However, after completing the 12 weeks of no intervention, they will be asked whether they would like to receive physiotherapy treatment.
After completing the Pilates intervention group, participants will be given Questionnaire 2 to review the perception of Pilates following the intervention. This questionnaire will specifically address Pilates as a treatment method. By comparing the responses from Questionnaire 1 with the feedback obtained from Questionnaire 2, this study aim to assess the alignment between participants' perceptions of Pilates and their actual experiences following the intervention. The questionnaires will be distributed and collected by hand by the intermediary on the last day of intervention.
Both questionnaires will be coded in order to ensure the participants' anonymity and the intermediary will be responsible for securely managing and retaining the assigned codes.
2,875 studies on the registry are indexed under Low Back Pain; 484 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 90 is above the median of 60 across 2,315 interventional studies indexed under Low Back Pain.
Browse Low Back Pain studies →University of Malta is the lead sponsor of 12 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
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The Pilates intervention group will consist of a twice weekly sessions for a duration of 1 hour each for a period of 12 weeks. These sessions will be conducted at the Physiotherapy Department at St Luke's Hospital and the physiotherapist, who is the main researcher will be leading the Pilates sessions.
Procedure: Pilates Group
The exercise group will also receive a twice weekly session, each lasting 1 hour for a duration of 12 weeks. This group will be assigned general exercises for the low back, which will also be supervised and directed by the primary researcher.
Procedure: Exercise Group
The control group, on the other hand will include patients who either opt not to do the exercises or are on the waiting list for physiotherapy treatment. However, after completing the 12 weeks of no intervention, they will be asked whether they would like to receive physiotherapy treatment.
Procedure: Control Group
In this study, the participants in the Pilates group will undergo 2 sessions per week, for 12 consecutive weeks.
In this study, the participants in the Exercise group will undergo 2 sessions per week, for 12 consecutive weeks.
The participants in the control group, are those who either opt not to do the exercises or are on the waiting list for physiotherapy intervention. Therefore, they will not undergo any intervention for 12 consecutive weeks.
Questionnaire 1
The perception of Pilates as a treatment in the management of Low Back Pain.
Time frame: To be distributed to patients prior to an intervention.
Questionnaire 2
Post Pilates programme feedback questionnaire.
Time frame: To be given immediately after completing the intervention programme.
Numerical Pain Rating Scale
It is a self-reported measure where individuals are asked to rate their pain on a numerical scale. Zero means 'no pain' and 10 means 'the worst possible pain'.
Time frame: Up to 1 year since start of the intervention.
Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale
It is a tool designed to assess the impact of chronic pain on daily functioning and activities, particularly focusing on disability associated with pain conditions. The score disability level range from: 0 - 4 No disability, 5 - 14 Mild disability, 15 - 24 Moderate disability, 25 - 34 Severe disability and 35 - 50 Completely disabled.
Time frame: Up to 1 year since start of the intervention.
RAND 36-Item Health Survey
It is a widely used health survey measuring various aspects of physical and mental well-being to assess an individual's health-related quality of life. Possible scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores representing better health status.
Time frame: Up to 1 year since start of the intervention.
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
It is a self-assessment tool used to measure anxiety and depression levels in patients within a medical care setting. Scoring for each item ranges from zero to three, with three denoting highest anxiety or depression level.
Time frame: Up to 1 year since start of the intervention.
No study locations are listed for this record.
Plan to share: No
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This study is status unknown, as verified in Apr 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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