IMPACT OF PREGNANCY-RELATED LOW BACK PAIN ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND FUNCTION AND THE EFFECT OF PHYSIOTHERAPY INTERVENTIONS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

This article aimed to analyze the impact of pregnancy-related low back pain on the quality of life and function of pregnant women and the effect of physiotherapy interventions on these outcomes. This is an integrative review with a PubMed/MEDLINE search from January 2023 to October 2026, including primary studies of pregnant women that assessed quality of life or disability with validated instruments. Twenty-six studies from 16 countries were included, 14 observational and 12 interventional. Prevalence ranged from 21.8% to 66.2%, and disability was mostly mild to moderate, worsening with gestational age. Functional disability mediated 45% to 65% of the effect of pain on quality of life, and pain was associated with poorer sleep quality, depressive symptoms and kinesiophobia. Supervised exercise programs, such as core stabilization, Pilates, postural stretching and Nordic walking, reduced pain and disability and improved quality of life in the three trials that measured it in women with pain. Pregnancy-related low back pain impairs quality of life mainly through functional disability, and supervised exercise is the best-supported intervention, although the evidence comes from small trials.