December 16, 2009 â € ”The Pilates method could relieve the pain associated with fibromyalgia, according to a pilot study carried out in Turkey, among 50 people with fibromyalgia.
The patients were divided into 2 groups. Those in the first group received a program of 25 Pilates exercises to perform, 1 hour per session, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. For volunteers in the second group, the researchers prescribed 24 stretching and relaxation exercises during the same period.2.
The data studied focused on 2 characteristic aspects of the disease, namely the intensity of the pain and the functional limitations generally caused by it, such as difficulty in performing household tasks and absenteeism at work.
According to the results, the Pilates method alleviated the intensity of pain and functional limitations in the patients of the first group, immediately after the training period (week 12). On the other hand, the beneficial effects against the pain disappeared 3 months after the end of the training. These results confirm those of previous studies carried out on the treatment of fibromyalgia, the researchers point out.
Research into the benefits of Pilates for improving flexibility, abdominal muscle endurance, and static and dynamic balance in healthy people is recent, the study authors say. They consider it necessary to continue research to know with more certainty the impact of this training method on neuromuscular diseases.
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The Pilates method In its popular form, Pilates is practiced on the floor, on a mat. This technique is inspired by yoga, dance and gymnastics. The Pilates method is based on 8 basic principles: concentration, control, center of gravity, breathing, fluidity, precision, sequence and isolation. The abdominal, gluteal and back muscles are used in most exercises. Good posture is essential to the practice of Pilates. Pilates training can also be done using objects (balls, springs, rubber bands). These objects induce imbalances, which causes the body to call on a specific set of stabilizing muscles. |
Danny Raymond – HealthPassport.net
1. Altan L, Korkmaz N, et al. Effect of pilates training on people with fibromyalgia syndrome: a pilot study, Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2009 Dec; (90): 1983-8.
2. The specialists measured the evolution of the symptoms of fibromyalgia during 3 distinct periods. The initial assessment took place before the study, a second took place at the 12e week and the third at week 24 (12 weeks after stopping exercise).
