Pilates and the effectiveness of the transversus abdominis in the individuals with low back pain

The research included 16 individuals (9 men and 7 women) with mechanical low back pain and age between 30 and 60 years. To increase the force of the muscle transverso was used the Pilates method. They practiced 10 sessions of one hour of Pilates twice a week for 5 straight weeks.The effectiveness contraction of the Transversus Abdominis was evaluated through the Chattanooga Stabilizer Pressure Biofeedback for the test contraction of transversus abdominis, each individual was placed in the prone position with the arms beside the body and the stock pressure on the abdomen, navel located in the pouch and the anterior iliac spine and right upper lined the edge of the same. First, was held to familiarize the subject with the test run. The cushion was inflated to 70 mmHg which is considered the unit of pressure biofeedback. With the weight of abdominal contents on the cushion, the subjects were instructed to remove the most of your lower abdomen at the expiration of the pad without any movement of the pelvis or torso. Started normal expiration during the act of removal, the contraction was held for 10s. A successful performance test reduces the pressure of 6-10mmHg, indicating the correct localized contraction of transversus abdominis, independently of the other abdominal muscles. A depression of 6 mmHg, no change or an increase in pressure indicates an ineffective contraction of the transversus abdominis. The level of functional capacity for the Oswestry Disability Index and the quality of life for the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Two evaluations were accomplished, before and after 10 Pilates session