Effect of Bruegger’s and Egoscue exercise on anterior pelvic tilt in lower crossed syndrome: a randomized clinical trial
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Abstract
Objective: To investigate the comparative effects of Bruegger’s exercise and Egoscue exercise on anterior pelvic tilt in individuals with lower crossed syndrome (LCS).
Methods: This single-center, parallel-group randomized clinical trial (NCT06303388) was conducted at Pakistan Railway General Hospital, Rawalpindi. A total of 34 participants (aged 20–50 years) with LCS were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A received Bruegger’s exercise, while Group B received Egoscue exercise, alongside standardized conventional physiotherapy (hot packs and muscle stretching). The intervention comprised 12 sessions over four weeks. Anterior pelvic tilt was measured pre- and post-intervention using a pelvic inclinometer. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for within-group comparisons and the Mann–Whitney U test for between-group differences.
Results: The mean age of participants was 26.45±4.41 years, with 85.3% females. Both groups demonstrated significant reductions in anterior pelvic tilt after four weeks (Bruegger’s: median 12 to 9, p <0.001; Egoscue: median 12 to 9, p <0.001). Within-group effect sizes were large (Bruegger’s r = 0.63; Egoscue r = 0.64). However, no statistically significant difference was observed between groups at baseline (p = 0.327) or post-intervention (p = 0.793), with a negligible between-group effect size (r = 0.04).
Conclusion: Both Bruegger’s and Egoscue exercises significantly improve anterior pelvic tilt in individuals with LCS, with no evidence of superiority of one intervention over the other. However, given its simplicity and ease of execution, Bruegger’s exercise may offer a more practical and feasible option in clinical settings.
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