| Multimodal Exercise Approaches to Enhance Spinal Range of Motion in Women with Lumbar Disc Herniation |
| Paper ID : 1141-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
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Afshin Moghadasi *, Fatemeh Mousavi Department of Sports Injury and Corrective Exercises, Payame Noor University(PNU), Tehran, Iran |
| Abstract |
| Introduction: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) often limits spinal mobility, leading to pain, functional impairment, and reduced quality of life (1,3). Although aquatic and Pilates exercises individually improve spinal function, their combined effects on spinal range of motion (ROM) have not been fully explored. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 45 women aged 30–50 years with MRI-confirmed mild to moderate LDH were randomly assigned to control (n=15), aquatic exercise (n=15), or combined aquatic + Pilates exercise (n=15) groups. Interventions lasted eight weeks, with three supervised sessions per week. Spinal ROM—including flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation—was measured using standardized tape-based methods. Data were analyzed using mixed-model ANOVA and Scheffé post hoc tests. Results: Significant improvements in all ROM measures were observed in the exercise groups over time (P < 0.001). Between-group comparisons showed that the combined aquatic + Pilates group achieved greater improvements in lumbar flexion compared to the aquatic-only group (P = 0.027), whereas other ROM measures did not differ significantly between the two exercise groups (P > 0.05). Aquatic exercise alone improved rotational ROM compared to the control group (P < 0.01), while other measures showed no significant changes. Conclusion: Eight weeks of combined aquatic-Pilates exercise effectively enhances lumbar flexion beyond aquatic exercise alone, and aquatic exercise also improves rotational mobility. These findings support the use of multimodal, non-invasive exercise programs to optimize spinal mobility in women with LDH and provide practical guidance for clinical rehabilitation (1,2). |
| Keywords |
| Lumbar disc herniation; Spinal range of motion; Aquatic exercise; Pilates. |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
