Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Progression of the Pilates exercises
| Time point | Exercises | Sets | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Hundred, spine stretch forward, and roll up and down. | 3 | 10 |
| Week 2 | (Week 1 exercises) + single leg stretch and double leg stretch. | 3 | 10 |
| Week 3 | (Week 2 exercises) + clams and single leg kicks. | 3 | 10 |
| Week 4 | (Week 3 exercises) + side leg kicks. | 3 | 10 |
| Week 5 | (Week 4 exercises) + shoulder bridge and criss cross. | 3 | 10 |
| Week 6 | (Week 5 exercises) + one leg circle and hip twist. | 3 | 10 |
| Week 7 | (Week 6 exercises) + swimming, standing footwork, and squatting. | 3 | 10 |
| Week 8 | Week 7 exercises. | 3 | 10 |
Comparing the characteristics of participants between both groups
| Group A | Group B | MD | t- value | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | ||||
| Age (years) | 29.34 ± 5.46 | 28.61 ± 5.15 | 0.73 | 0.61 | 0.54 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 26.85 ± 1.18 | 26.49 ± 1.04 | 0.36 | 1.41 | 0.16 |
| TBSA (%) | 35.24 ± 2.74 | 34.68 ± 2.68 | 0.56 | 0.89 | 0.37 |
| TBSA LL (%) | 22.11 ± 1.57 | 21.66 ± 1.76 | 0.45 | 1.17 | 0.25 |
| Anterior thigh (%) | 6.79 ± 0.74 | 7.05± 0.4 | −0.26 | −1.93 | 0.06 |
| Posterior thigh (%) | 6.11± 0.92 | 5.89± 0.95 | 0.21 | 0.98 | 0.33 |
| Anterior leg (%) | 5.45± 0.89 | 5.5± 0.51 | −0.05 | −0.32 | 0.75 |
| Posterior leg (%) | 4.42± 0.5 | 4.26± 0.64 | 0.16 | 1.19 | 0.24 |
| Foot (%) | 2.39± 0.72 | 2.37± 0.94 | 0.03 | 0.14 | 0.89 |
| TBSALL, n (%) | |||||
| Dominant | 22 (58.89%) | 25 (65.79%) | χ2 = 0.5 | 0.48 | |
| Non dominant | 16 (42.1%) | 13 (34.21%) | |||
| Sex, n (%) | |||||
| Female | 22 (58.89%) | 19 (50%) | χ2 = 0.47 | 0.49 | |
| Male | 16 (42.1%) | 19 (50%) |
Mean knee flexor and extensor strength before and after treatment, both groups
| Group A | Group B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | MD (95% CI) | p- value | Effect size | |
| Knee flexors (kg) | |||||
| Pre-treatment | 18.61 ± 1.21 | 18.88 ± 1.12 | −0.27 (−0.81,0.26) | 0.31 | |
| Post-treatment | 27.01 ± 1.38 | 23.06 ± 1.67 | 3.95 (3.25,4.65) | 0.001 | 2.58 |
| MD (95% CI) | −8.40 (−9.1, −7.75) | −4.18 (−4.83, −3.53) | |||
| % of change (effect size) | 45.14 (4.58) | 22.14 (2.08) | |||
| p = 0.001 | p = 0.001 | ||||
| Knee extensors (kg) | |||||
| Pre-treatment | 19.91 ± 1.29 | 20.29 ± 1.58 | −0.38 (−1.03,0.29) | 0.26 | |
| Post-treatment | 30.11 ± 1.71 | 26.46 ± 1.66 | 3.65(2.88,4.42) | 0.001 | 2.17 |
| MD (95% CI) | −10.20 (−10.89, −9.51) | −6.17 (−6.87, −5.49) | |||
| % of change (effect size) | 51.23 (4.76) | 30.41 (2.7) | |||
| p = 0.001 | p = 0.001 |
Mean BBS and LEFS before and after treatment, both groups
| Group A | Group B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | MD (95% CI) | p- value | Effect size | |
| BBS | |||||
| Pre-treatment | 28.37 ± 2.12 | 28.92 ± 2.27 | −0.55 (−1.56,0.45) | 0.27 | |
| Post-treatment | 49.66 ± 2.08 | 41.74 ± 2.39 | 7.92(6.9,8.95) | 0.01 | 3.54 |
| MD (95% CI) | −21.29 (−22.34, −20.24) | −12.82 (−13.86, −11.77) | |||
| % of change (effect size) | 75.04 (7.17) | 44.33 (3.89) | |||
| p = 0.001 | p = 0.001 | ||||
| LEFS | |||||
| Pre-treatment | 52.42 ± 4.54 | 52.68 ± 4.58 | −0.26 (−2.35,1.82) | 0.80 | |
| Post-treatment | 76.37 ± 1.63 | 64.13 ± 2.02 | 12.24 (11.4,13.08) | 0.001 | 6.67 |
| MD (95% CI) | −23.95 (−25.56, −22.33) | −11.45 (−13.06, −9.83) | |||
| % of change (effect size) | 45.69 (4.97) | 21.74 (2.29) | |||
| p = 0.001 | p = 0.001 |