As Arthritis Awareness Appeal is September 24-30, we thought we would highlight some of the recent research findings on the benefits of utilising Pilates for the management of arthritis.
In particular clinical Pilates exercises have been shown to decrease pain, improve function, improve quality of life and assist in enhancing feelings of mental and physical wellbeing of research participants with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic-arthritis. (Unal et al, 2011. Altan et al, 2011).
In particular this research suggests that Pilates exercise is a safe and effective method for improving physical capacity in patients. (Altan et al, 2011).
So this also suggests that although your joints are already painful and stiff and exercising them is probably the last thing that you want to be doing, it is instead essential to keep your muscles and surrounding tissue strong in order to support the bones. Not exercising these supporting muscles and surrounding tissue will instead weaken them and increase the stress on the joint.
This is further supported by a randomised clinical trial undertaken at the Centre for Musculoskeletal Outcomes Research at the University of Otago, which has shown manual therapy or regular physical exercise programmes can significantly improve the lives of many people with painful osteoarthritis.
The research involved 207 Dunedin patients with painful osteoarthritis in knee and hip joints over one year, and used three protocols of treatment provided by physiotherapists, as well as the usual care by their GP.
Half of the patients treated with manual therapy and 40% of those treated with exercise therapy were ''treatment successes'' a year later, being significantly better both in terms of pain and ability to perform everyday activities.
Back in Motion understands arthritis and not only has highly skilled physiotherapists, but also Pilates instructors and a Pilates studio to further assist in graduated resistance programmes that are low impact and easy to use.
For more information talk to one of our Physiotherapists at Back In Motion and check out more from our website www.backinmotion.co.nz