Background and Purpose: Low back pain (LBP) has significant personal, health, social and economic costs, with 70–80% of adult experiencing it at some time. Research agrees that exercise is important in the management of LBP, but the specific and most effective form has yet to be decided 1. Pilates has become a popular form of core stabilization exercise and is increasingly being used as a therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate individual perceptions of Pilates as a form of exercise, and report on perceived outcomes for low back pain.

Methods: Fifty individuals attending a 6 week body control Pilate’s class delivered by chartered physiotherapists were surveyed in the final week. A researcher designed questionnaire was developed and tested and the EQ5-D health questionnaire was used to determine the generic health status of the subjects.

Results: Forty five participations responded, 51% of these reported previous episodes of low back pain. Pilates was perceived to be a beneficial form of exercise compared to previous exercise classes p> 0.001 and a more effective method of managing recurrent low back pain than conventional physiotherapy p< 0.001. 92% reported a perceived reduction in stiffness and 65% reported perceived reduction in pain. Overall the subjects recorded a low level of illness.

Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that individuals with low back pain attend Pilates and perceive it as beneficial. Future randomized controlled trails to establish the effectiveness of Pilates as a means of treating low back pain are warranted.