The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Another review of Pilates for low back pain

    Researchers at Peninsula Medical School, in Exeter, UK  reviewed all studies of Pilates vs placebo to treat low back pain.

    First, the details.

    • 4 studies involving Pilates to manage low back pain were included.
    • The quality of the research was relatively low, based on the Oxford (Jadad) scale.
    • All studies differed in terms of patient characteristics, control groups, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and outcome measures, making a meta-analysis not feasible.

    And, the results.

    • Some evidence supported the effectiveness of Pilates in the management of low back pain.
    • No definite conclusions were possible.

    The bottom line?

    The authors were disappointed. They recommended further research with larger groups of patients and clearer definitions of the standard care and comparable outcome measures.

    Earlier this year researchers at the Universidade Estadual de Londrina-UEM, in Brazil conducted a review and concluded, “The Pilates method did not improve functionality and pain in patients who have low back pain when compared with control and lumbar stabilization exercise groups.

    10/18/11 19:36 JR

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