Alternative Therapies

Although there has been no research yet to prove the effectiveness of Pilates in reducing Parkinson’s, there are a growing number of people who say they are finding some relief with it.

The movements in Pilates exercises are controlled, where the body is moved by only some inches, but these small motions are making a big difference to some Parkinsons’ patients.

Parkinson’s, is a degenerative disorder, which inhibits a person’s ability to control movement. Its symptoms include tremors, slowness of movement, rigidity and poor balance.

62 year old Karen Smith says, “I love it, it’s great. It exercises muscles that otherwise don’t get exercised”. Smith is a part of a group that meets twice a week at the Parkinson Center of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

There has been some improvement in the participants’ rigidity and balance. The center already has a waiting list of patients for its next round of classes. There are other Pilates instructors also around the country who are offering classes.

Instructors say that the basics of Pilates — increasing core strength and improving flexibility and balance are extremely helpful in countering the effects of Parkinson’s. There are some studies that show that exercise can indeed ease the severity of Parkinson’s symptoms.

The participants say that the exercises are not a strain, which makes the program more approachable. And it gives a positive environment with other people with Parkinson’s. Many Parkinson’s patients suffer from depression and some say the exercise has helped them.