Parkinson's and Pilates

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease which inhibits the ability to control movement. The most common symptoms include slowness of movement, tremors, rigidity and poor balance. The basic principal of Pilates is increasing core strength and improving flexibility and balance. These things are extremely helpful in countering the effects of Parkinson's disease in some individuals.

Recent studies have reported that patients with Parkinson's Disease are showing a decrease in symptoms while exercising with Pilates. Pilates exercise muscles that otherwise don't get exercised and improvement in participants' rigidity and balance have improved greatly.

Pilates is an exercise method invented in the early 20th century and emphasizes a connection between mind, body and spirit in exercises focusing on breathing, side bending, and extension, rotation and flexing of the spine.

The Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon, reported this research and began a pilot program. The success of the pilot, in turn, spawned a permanent Pilates course set to begin in Portland at OHSU's new Center for Health & Healing.

Julie Carter, R.N., associate professor of neurology in the OHSU School of Medicine and associate director of the Parkinson Center of Oregon, says she is amazed at the improvement she's seen in patients who use the method (Pilates).

Carter stated, "The reason I got interested in Pilates is because I believe in it as another modality for treating symptoms of the disease. Two important aspects of Parkinson's disease are rigidity and balance problems, and these are addressed in Pilates. And people are just visibly more flexible."

Studies already are showing the benefits of exercise in reducing some of Parkinson's symptoms. Charles Meshaul, Ph.D.associate professor of behavioral neuroscience in the OHSU School of Medicine and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center's Neurocytology Lab, showed that rats with a 90 percent loss of dopamine in the brain (a model for full-blown Parkinson's disease) regain some motor function following a four-week treadmill exercise regimen. Meshul's laboratory also found that exercise may be neuroprotective because it decreases levels of the brain chemical glutamate, which is found in higher levels when the brain is damaged.

Also, the Parkinson Center of Oregon is planning other research to study several modes of exercise in clinical trials to determine which form of exercise is most effective in helping mobility in Parkinson's disease.

Some patients with Parkinson's have rigidity in their spines and have shallow breathing. Pilates encourages breathing into the back and sides of the ribcage with a full exhalation. The exercises help maintain flexibility in the spine. Patients leave their exercise program feeling better than when they came in.

In Pilates exercises, the movements are controlled. Sometimes the movement in the body is only a few inches. The exercises aren't a strain which makes the program approachable for patients who don't exercise at all. Also, being with other Parkinson's patients in a positive environment is supportive. Many people with Parkinson's struggle with depression and some say the exercise has helped with that too.

Exercising has not only helped with flexibility, agility and balance, it is giving Parkinson's sufferers confidence. Many who exercise religiously can continue with other activities they love like hiking, running and golf. As one patient stated, "Just because you are diagnosed with a disease doesn't mean the end of the world."

Pilates was first developed for rehabilitation. Its focus on movement and breathing brings new and effective treatment methods. Being extremely versatile, the exercises can be modified to fit the needs of many patients. In addition to Pilates being used to help Parkinson's patients, physical therapists are also using Pilates successfully to treat a variety of other conditions including:

• Chronic neck and back pain
• Sciatica
• Shoulder impingement/tendonitis
• Hip bursitis
• Ankle injuries
• Total knee/hip replacements
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Scoliosis