- Home
- Medical news & Guidelines
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology and CTVS
- Critical Care
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- ENT
- Gastroenterology
- Medicine
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Obstretics-Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics-Neonatology
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Urology
- Laboratory Medicine
- Diet
- Nursing
- Paramedical
- Physiotherapy
- Health news
- Fact Check
- Bone Health Fact Check
- Brain Health Fact Check
- Cancer Related Fact Check
- Child Care Fact Check
- Dental and oral health fact check
- Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
- Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
- Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
- Fitness fact check
- Gut health fact check
- Heart health fact check
- Kidney health fact check
- Medical education fact check
- Men's health fact check
- Respiratory fact check
- Skin and hair care fact check
- Vaccine and Immunization fact check
- Women's health fact check
- AYUSH
- State News
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttrakhand
- West Bengal
- Medical Education
- Industry
Reformer Pilates Eases Pain and Boosts Well-being in Chronic Pain Patients: Study

A new study published in the journal of BMC Psychology revealed that reformer pilates significantly reduces pain intensity, fear of movement, and fatigue in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The practice also promotes active living and improves both mental and physical health, with some effects reaching clinical significance.
Chronic pain is often defined as persistent or recurring pain that lasts more than 3 months. According to data from a number of studies, international treatment guidelines for the management of musculoskeletal pain recommend resistance exercise training and flexibility exercises at least twice a week in order to preserve functional status, encourage lifetime physical activity, and enhance overall quality of life.
This trial sought to determine how Reformer Pilates affects the degree of pain, coping mechanisms, pain beliefs, fear of movement, exhaustion, and sleep quality in young adults with persistent neck and low back pain.
A total of 54 women between the ages of 30 and 50 were randomized into 2 groups. A 6-week exercise regimen consisting of 45 minutes twice a week was given to the Reformer Pilates (RP) group, whereas no exercise regimen was given to the control group (CG). The following outcomes were assessed both before and after the interventions: Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale, FACIT Fatigue Scale, Pain Coping Scale, Pain Beliefs Scale, and Brief Pain Questionnaire.
At baseline, the groups were all the same. With small to large effect sizes in pain parameters (p <0.05; Cohen’s d = 0.17–1.45), big effect sizes in dread of movement, moderate effect sizes in tiredness, and medium effect sizes in sleep quality (p <0.05; Cohen’s d = 0.43–0.86), statistical differences were detected in favor of RP. Only the passive methods sub-headings of the Pain Coping Scale and the pain beliefs organic sub-heading of the Pain Beliefs Scale showed a statistically significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05).
Overall, these findings indicate that Reformer Pilates workouts assist individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain manage their pain by fostering body-mind unification and lowering pain perception. The current study broadens the focus by assessing the neurophysiological and cognitive impacts of Reformer Pilates, especially in connection to pain beliefs and coping mechanisms, whereas earlier research has mostly concentrated on the physical advantages of Pilates.
Source:
Şahan, N., Uluğ, N., & Özeren, A. (2025). Effects of reformer pilates on pain, psychological factors, and sleep in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychology, 13(1), 836. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03207-9
Neuroscience Masters graduate
Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in
Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751