Effectiveness of the Pilates method on the risk of falls in older adults
Keywords:
elderly, fall accidents, movement exercise techniques, rehabilitation}Abstract
Introduction: Falls in older adults are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The Pilates method offers benefits in terms of balance and dynamic coordination; however, there is still controversy regarding its effectiveness compared to other approaches.
Objective: To explore the effectiveness of the Pilates method in reducing the risk of falls in older adults.
Method: A bibliographic review was conducted of documents published in journals indexed in the following databases: SciElo, Latindex, Redalyc, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, using Google Scholar as a search engine. The health descriptors used were: accidents due to falls; elderly; rehabilitation; exercise techniques with movement; in English, Spanish, and Portuguese; and the Boolean operators (AND, NOT, and OR). 74 documents were identified, of which 23 contributed information to the study.
Development: The Pilates method reduces the risk of falls in older adults by improving posture, balance, muscle strength, and motor coordination. From a physiotherapeutic perspective, it enhances the tone and trophism of the muscles in the abdominal, lumbar, pelvic, and gluteal regions, as well as the deep spinal muscles, which generates segmental stabilization and postural reeducation.
Conclusions: The available evidence indicates that the Pilates method is an effective tool for improving postural stability and reducing the risk of falls in older adults. However, its effectiveness could be increased when combined with other therapeutic approaches and performed under the supervision of trained professionals.
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References
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