Beneficios percibidos por pacientes practicantes de Pilates en un centro de fisioterapia

Abstract

Objective. To know the perceived benefits by the patients treated with a Pilates based exercises programme with and without pain at the beginning of the programme. Method. Pilates-based exercises programme: mat exercises in groups, two 60 minutes sessions per week, over 20 weeks, between January and August 2013. Participants: 49 patients, between the ages of 20 and 73 (mean 46,86; SD 10,88), and 39 of them were women (79,6%). Pre and post intervention assessment: pain evaluation by visual analogue scale and an ad hoc questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS, v19. Results. The main perceived bennefits by the patients after the intervention with Pilates method were: posture, flexibility, muscle elasticity and abdominal tone improvement, as well as pain diminishment and respiratory function improvement. In these respects, over 50% of the sample reffered the improvement. Conclusions. Pilates method appears to be positively perceived by the patients, something that could have a key role in promoting health, but there is a need for further study in this area to confirm the results obtained in this study.