Reformer Pilates vs Conventional Physiotherapy in Chronic Low Back Pain

April 18, 2026 updated by: osman coban, Uskudar University

Comparison of Reformer Pilates Exercises and Conventional Physiotherapy on Pain, Disability and Quality of Life in Individuals With Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Non-specific chronic low back pain is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders worldwide and is associated with functional limitations and reduced quality of life. Exercise-based physiotherapy approaches are strongly recommended in clinical guidelines. Pilates exercises are frequently used due to their potential effects on core stability and movement control, while conventional physiotherapy remains a commonly applied treatment method. However, randomized controlled trials directly comparing these interventions are limited.

This study aims to compare the short-term effects of reformer Pilates exercises and conventional physiotherapy on pain intensity, functional disability and health-related quality of life in individuals with non-specific chronic low back pain.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study is designed as a prospective randomized controlled trial with two parallel groups. Participants meeting eligibility criteria will be randomly allocated to reformer Pilates or conventional physiotherapy groups using computer-generated randomization.

Both groups will receive treatment three times per week for six weeks. The reformer Pilates program will focus on trunk stabilization, coordination and flexibility. The conventional physiotherapy program will include electrotherapy modalities and therapeutic exercises.

Participants will be evaluated before and after the intervention. Primary outcome will be pain severity measured by NRS. Secondary outcomes will include functional disability measured by ODI and quality of life assessed by SF-12.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

36

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • Recruiting
        • Uskudar University
        • Principal Investigator:
          • osman çoban, phd
        • Contact:
          • kübra uslu, msc
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • kübra uslu, msc

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Individuals aged between 18 and 65 years

  • Diagnosis of non-specific chronic low back pain lasting at least 12 weeks
  • Average low back pain intensity ≥3 on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) during the last week
  • Ability to participate in exercise sessions three times per week
  • Providing written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Specific causes of low back pain (tumor, infection, inflammatory rheumatic disease, vertebral fracture)
  • Radiculopathy or significant neurological deficits (progressive motor loss, severe sensory deficit, cauda equina syndrome)
  • History of lumbar spine surgery within the past 6 months or current surgical indication
  • Participation in regular Pilates or structured exercise programs within the last 3 months
  • Severe cardiopulmonary disease or uncontrolled hypertension contraindicating exercise
  • Pregnancy or early postpartum period
  • Severe psychiatric or cognitive disorders affecting study compliance
  • Participation in another physiotherapy or rehabilitation program during the study period

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Pilates Group (PG)
Participants in the Pilates group received a structured reformer Pilates exercise program aimed at improving trunk stabilization, neuromuscular control, flexibility, and postural alignment, based on previously published protocols for chronic low back pain. The intervention was performed three times per week for six weeks (18 sessions), with each session lasting approximately 60 minutes under the supervision of a physiotherapist certified in clinical Pilates. Each session consisted of a 10-minute warm-up, 40-minute reformer-based core stabilization and motor control exercises, and a 10-minute cool-down phase.
Other: reformer Pilates exercises
focusing on core stabilization, flexibility, posture, and muscle strength
Other Names:
  • Reformer Pilates exercises targeting core stabilization, trunk control, and flexibility.
Active Comparator: Conventional Physiotherapy Group
Participants in the conventional physiotherapy group received a standardized program including electrotherapy (hot pack, TENS, ultrasound) and supervised therapeutic exercises (stretching, strengthening, and lumbar stabilization). The intervention was applied three times weekly for six weeks (18 sessions, 60 minutes/session) with progression based on patient tolerance.
Other: conventional physiotherapy group
Participants in the conventional physiotherapy group will receive a structured physiotherapy program consisting of electrotherapy modalities and therapeutic exercises. The treatment program will include superficial heat therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and therapeutic ultrasound based on individual clinical needs. This will be followed by supervised stretching, strengthening, and lumbar stabilization exercises designed to improve trunk control and functional performance.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain intensity (Numeric Rating Scale - NRS)
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 weeks
The primary outcome of the study is pain intensity measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (0-10). Higher scores indicate greater pain severity. Change in pain intensity from baseline to post-intervention will be analyzed.
Change from baseline to 6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Functional disability (Oswestry Disability Index - ODI)
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 weeks
Functional disability will be assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), a validated questionnaire consisting of 10 sections evaluating limitations in daily activities due to low back pain. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater disability.
Change from baseline to 6 weeks
Health-related quality of life (Short Form-12 Health Survey - SF-12)
Time Frame: Baseline and after 6 weeks of intervention
Health-related quality of life measured by the Short Form-12 (SF-12) The Short Form-12 assesses physical and mental health domains and provides two summary scores: the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS). Scores typically range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.
Baseline and after 6 weeks of intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Uskudar University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: osman çoban, phd, Uskudar University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 28, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 8, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 18, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 18, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • uskudarulumbarpilates

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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