OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to clarify the impact of a Pilates-based therapeutic exercise on disability, pain, mood, and sleep quality in patients with pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain (LPP), PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the single-blinded randomized controlled study conducted between January 2018 and June 2018, 34 pregnant women (mean age 29.7 +/- 6.2 years; range 18 to 40 years) in the second trimester (week 14 to 24) with LPP were randomly assigned to a control group and a Pilates group. All patients underwent usual prenatal care. In addition, the selected Pilates exercise was carried out twice a week for 60 min per session for 12 weeks in the Pilates group. The control group was not prescribed an exercise regimen; however, they were not discouraged from exercising. The primary outcome was disability; secondary outcomes were LPP, mood, and sleep quality. Disability (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ)), LPP (Visual Analog Scale (VAS)), mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Anxiety (HADS-A) and Depression (HADS-D) subscales), and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)) were measured before and after 12 weeks. Adverse effects and adherence were recorded to determine exercise safety and compliance. The intention-to-treat analysis was applied. RESULTS: The between-group effect sizes were moderate for the RMDQ and VAS scales (d = 0.4 and d = 0.7, respectively) and small for the HADS-A and HADS-D scales (both d = 0.2). The intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated that there was a statistically significant difference in disability, pain, and mood in favor of the Pilates group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the PSQI (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Adding Pilates to usual prenatal care should be considered a promising treatment option for pregnancy-related LPP.

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