Effects of Pilates programs on physical and mental health outcomes in women with low back pain: a systematic review

Low back pain is viewed as a public health problem. Women have a higher prevalence of low back pain than men in all age groups. Pilates is currently one of the most popular exercise methods in the world, so the aim of this review paper is to cover and consolidate the existing literature that points to the use of Pilates in women diagnosed with low back pain. Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases were used for the literature review. The inclusion criteria were: the study includes women as participants, the participants were diagnosed with low back pain, a specific Pilates method was used, the participants have no other diseases and are not pregnant, the study is written in English. Based on the database search, 108 papers were identified, of which nine met all criteria and were included in the final analysis. These studies covered 445 women, with 251 women undergoing a specific type of Pilates program. The results showed that Pilates programs influenced pain reduction, improvement of muscular and functional abilities, as well as improvement of quality of life. Therefore, Pilates can be a very good way to reduce low back pain, especially in the female population.