Pilates exercise is commonly used in the rehabilitation of individuals with musculoskeletal conditions, but dosing parameters for optimal outcomes are unclear. Large variations exist in Pilates-based protocols, and research related to specific dosing is sparse.
Objective:
To identify optimal dose parameters of Pilates exercise when applied to the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions.
Data Sources:
English-language articles published up to February 2023, in the PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Pedro databases.
Study Selection:
Articles where patients 20–60 years old with musculoskeletal conditions received a Pilates-based exercise intervention and reported quantification of treatment dose. A total of 72 full-text articles were assessed, with 14 meeting inclusion criteria.
Study Design:
Scoping review.
Data Extraction:
Two investigators (A.P.S., G.K.) independently identified all proposed Pilates-based protocols and outcome measures from the included studies.
Results:
From the 1667 references initially found in 4 databases, 14 studies were included of which 13 were randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental (612 patients) and 1 was a Cochrane review (19,642 patients). Eight studies were of high methodological quality. The most frequent musculoskeletal condition examined was chronic low back pain. Pilates dosage regarding total intervention duration ranged from 6 to 16 weeks, but the most frequent duration reported was 8 weeks and 2 to 3 sessions per week with sessions lasting 50 to 60 minutes.
Conclusion:
This review suggests that there are clinically relevant Pilates dosing parameters that result in improved outcomes for patients with musculoskeletal disorders.
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