Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

• Alshimaa R Azab ^{1, 2}
• Nourah Basalem ¹
• Mshari Alghadier ¹
• Humaira Khanam ¹
• Julie George ¹
• Saleh M. Aloraini ³
• Feras Alsultan ³
• Maged A. Basha ^{3, 4}
• Intsar S. Waked ^{5, 6}
• FatmaAlzahraa H. Kamel ^{3, 6}

¹ Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia

² Department of Physical Therapy for Pediatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

³ Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia

⁴ Department of Physical Therapy, El-Sahel Teaching Hospital, General Organization for Teaching Hospitals and Institutes, Cairo, Egypt

⁵ Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Buraydah Private Colleges, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia

⁶ Department of Physical Therapy for Surgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Burns are a common childhood injury that can affect physical health for a long time, which has an impact on quality of life. This study aimed to determine whether adding Pilates exercise to a traditional physical therapy program improves lower extremity muscle strength, functional capacity, and quality of life in burned children.
Methods: This single-blinded randomized clinical trial was conducted at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia from 2022 to 2023. A simple randomization method was followed in this study. The control group (n=30) received a traditional physical therapy program, while the Pilates group (n=30) received a Pilates training in addition to the traditional physical therapy program. All participants attended the intervention 3 days a week, for 12 weeks. Measurements were made at baseline and after 3 months of the intervention. The outcome measurements included muscle strength, functional capacity, and quality of life. The data were analyzed using SPSS software, using univariate analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction.
Results: After intervention, there were statistically significant differences between groups, in favour of the Pilates group, in muscle strength, functional capacity (P<0.001), with mean difference and 95% CI was 16.73 (6.95, 26.52), quality of life physical subscale (P=0.03) with mean difference and 95% CI was 6.83 (0.71, 12.96), and quality of life total scores (P=0.02) with mean difference and 95% CI was 7.17 (1.34, 13.0). However, no statistically significant difference between groups on the quality-of-life psychological subscale (P=0.48).
Conclusion: Pilates exercises in addition to a traditional physical therapy program had a positive impact on the muscle strength of the lower limb, functional capacity, and quality of life in children with burn injury compared with the traditional exercise program alone.
Trial registration number: NCT06237361

Highlights

Alshimaa R Azab (Google Scholar)

Keywords

• Rehabilitation
• Muscle strength
• Quality of life
• Pilates training
• Burns