Effects of Pilates Method on women's static body posture: a systematic review

ABSTRACT The Pilates Method provides improvement in flexibility, coordination and muscle strength, which can reflect the postural alignment. In this sense, the objective of this study was to verify the level of scientific evidence from randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized that evaluated the influence of Pilates Method in postural alignment women when compared to a control group or other intervention based on a systematic review (CRD42015026518). A search was carried out between 25 and 29 September 2015 at BIREME, EMBASE, PEDro, PubMed, Scielo, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science, without language restriction and date. For selecting studies, two reviewers applied independently eligibility criteria: exclusive sample of women; intervention with Pilates Method in a group and presence of comparator; variable outcome static body posture; clinical trials. Reviewers obtained data about the studies (participants, intervention and outcomes), applied the methodological quality scale PEDro and determined the strength of the evidence through Best Evidence Synthesis. Four studies were included, three with high quality, but due to the divergence of results there is no scientific evidence about the effects of the Method in postural alignment. The results suggest that from 24 sessions of Pilates Method, applied twice a week, adjustments occur in the frontal alignment of the shoulders and sagittal of the pelvis in adults. And, after 48 sessions, adds to the improvement in the sagittal alignment of the head. In older, 60 sessions of Pilates Method appear to be effective in reducing the angle of kyphosis thoracic and cervical-thoracic distance, increasing height.