BACKGROUND: Chronic low back pain is an expensive and difficult condition to treat. Low back pain is the most common musculoskeletal symptoms seen in 85% of individuals in their life time. One of the interventions widely used by physiotherapists in the treatment of chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) is exercise therapy based upon the Pilates principles. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to find out the effect of Modified Pilates based exercises for patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial, pre test-post test design. SETTING: The study was conducted in Outpatient Department of Physiotherapy, KG Hospital, Coimbatore, India. PATIENTS: Fifty-two physically active subjects between 18 to 60 years old with chronic nonspecific low specific pain of more than 12 weeks' duration were randomly assigned into 2 groups. INTERVENTIONS: Group A subjects underwent a modified specific Pilates based exercises with flexibility exercises and group B subjects underwent a therapeutic exercises with flexibility exercises were conducted over of 8 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: Back specific Functional Status outcome were measured with the Oswestry Disability Index and pain intensity were measured with Visual analogue scale. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that the modified specific Pilates based exercises helps in reducing the pain, improve the back specific function, improve general health, personal care, social life and flexibility in individuals with non specific chronic low back pain than the therapeutic exercise group.

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