Unlocking the Mystery: Does Pilates Ease Pregnancy and Labor Pain?

Objective

This systematic review and meta-analysis study was conducted to reveal the effect of Pilates on pain during pregnancy and labor.

Methods

The PubMed, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, Ovid, EBSCO, CINAHL Plus, Cochrane Library databases, and Google Scholar databases were used to access the articles published in international journals, and the Dergipark, Turkish Clinics, and ULAKBIM databases were scanned to access the articles published in national journals between October 30 and November 30, 2022. The data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.4.

Results

This study included four articles. According to the meta-analysis results, it was elucidated that Pilates exercise during pregnancy was not statistically effective in reducing pain during pregnancy (Z=0.61, p=0.54), but it was effective in reducing pain intensity during labor (Z=11.20, p<0.00001).

Conclusion

This study concluded that Pilates exercise was not effective in reducing pain during pregnancy but was effective in reducing labor pain. There is a need for more research on the subject.

The Source Article References

• Pilates workouts can reduce pain in pregnant women by Oktaviani I, 2018 in Complement Ther Clin Pract.
• The effects of clinical Pilates exercises on functional disability, pain, quality of life and lumbopelvic stabilization in pregnant women with low back pain: a randomized controlled study by Sonmezer E, 2021 in J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil.
• The effectiveness of a Pilates exercise program during pregnancy on childbirth outcomes: a randomised controlled clinical trial by Ghandali NY, 2021 in BMC Pregnancy Childbirth.
• The effects of Pilates on mental health outcomes: a meta-analysis of controlled trials by Fleming KM, 2018 in Complement Ther Med.
• Burden of pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy among women attending ante-natal clinic, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study by Gashaw M, 2020 in BMC Pregnancy Childbirth.
• Exercise for the prevention of low back and pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by Shiri R, 2018 in Eur J Pain.
• Pilates method and pain in pregnancy: a systematic review and metanalysis by Mendo H, 2021 in BrJP.
• The severity and impact of pelvic girdle pain and low-back pain in pregnancy: a multinational study by Gutke A, 2018 in J Womens Health (Larchmt).
• Trajectories of lower back, upper back, and pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy and early postpartum in primiparous women by Dunn G, 2019 in Womens Health (Lond).
• Effect of kinesio taping on low back pain during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Xue X, 2021 in BMC Pregnancy Childbirth.
• The comparison of the effects of clinical Pilates exercises with and without childbirth training on pregnancy and birth results by Aktan B, 2021 in Int J Clin Pract.
• PRISMA 2020 explanation and elaboration: updated guidance and exemplars for reporting systematic reviews by Page MJ, 2021 in BMJ
• RoB 2: a revised tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials by Sterne JAC, 2019 in BMJ.
• Feasibility of Pilates for pregnant women: a randomised trial by Mazzarino M, 2022 in J Bodyw Mov Ther.
• Impact of job adjustment, pain location and exercise on sick leave due to lumbopelvic pain in pregnancy: a longitudinal study by Stafne SN, 2019 in Scand J Prim Health Care.
• The effect of pain on the quality of life in pregnancy by Ozel E, 2020 in Int Anatol Acad Online J.
• Pilates method for women’s health: systematic review of randomized controlled trials by Mazzarino M, 2015 in Arch Phys Med Rehabil.
• Assessing the effects of clinical Pilates exercises on the strength of abdominal muscles and diastasis recti abdominis in pregnant women by Canarslan B, 2017 in Fiz Rehabil.
• Effectiveness of a physical activity programme based on the Pilates method in pregnancy and labour by Rodríguez-Díaz L, 2017 in Enferm Clin.