Efficacy of Clinical Pilates versus general exercise for chronic low back pain: a randomised controlled trial.

People with chronic low back pain will be screened via telephone and undergo a physical screening. Baseline testing will be performed at The University of Melbourne and the participant randomised into one of two groups (i) Clinical Pilates (ii) General Exercise. the intervention will last for 6 weeks after which all participants will be reassessed by the same blinded assessor. Both interventions will comprise 12X1 hour visits for supervised exercise over 6 weeks (2 per week) to the trial clinic plus home exercises daily. The supervised sessions will be conducted by a physiotherapist in small group format with up to four participants. An exercise diary will be kept and monitored by the supervising physiotherapist. The Clinical Pilates programs are tailor-made Pilates exercises based on a history and physical assessment. The exercises are chosen according to findings on assessment and are performed on pilates equipment, with home exercises prescribed as an adjunct to the equipment-based exercises.