Background: Patients with chronic low back pain with higher levels of kinesiophobia have a 41% greater risk of developing a physical disability. The kinesiophobia model suggests that patients fear movements because of pain, associating movement with worsening of their state. Studies that apply the Pilates method for chronic low back pain achieve positive results in reducing pain and disability, and moderate results regarding kinesiophobia.
Objective: The purpose of this review is to evaluate the effects of the Pilates method on kinesiophobia associated with chronic non-specific low back pain.
Search methods: The following databases were searched from August to October 2018: MEDLINE, PEDro, SciELO, LILACS and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CENTRAL), without restriction of language and year of publication.
Selection criteria: Randomized clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of the Pilates method in the treatment of kinesiophobia in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain.
Data collection and analysis: Two authors independently selected the studies, assessed the risk of bias and extracted data. A third author was consulted in case of disagreements. The primary outcome was kinesiophobia as evaluated by the Tampa scale.
Results: Our electronic searches resulted in 314 studies; 288 studies were excluded and 27 were selected for reading in full-text. Five articles were included in this review and four in the meta-analysis.
Conclusion: There is a favorable effect of the Pilates method compared to minimal intervention or no treatment in reducing kinesiophobia associated with chronic non-specific low back pain, with a moderate quality of evidence.
Descriptors: Low Back Pain, Exercise Movement Techniques, Exercises, Pilates-Based.
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