The effect of eight weeks pilates exercises on the quality of life and pain in women with multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic disease that destroys myelin, which covers all the white matter of the central nervous system and controls sensory and motor functions. This chronic neurological disease has the most negative effects on the health and quality of life of people in the society. The complications of multiple sclerosis include the quality of life from different aspects of life such as physical, emotional, cognitive and social. One of the unpleasant clinical manifestations of multiple sclerosis is pain, which is considered one of the uncomfortable symptoms and has not been given much importance in the field of medicine and nursing. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of eight weeks of pilates training on quality of life and pain in women with multiple sclerosis. This semi-experimental and applied study was conducted on 24 women with multiple sclerosis with an age range of 45-55 and with a history of at least three years. The subjects were randomly divided into two equal groups of Pilates and the control. Quality of life was measured using a standard global quality of life questionnaire and pain was measured using a standard visual pain scale questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using independent t-test at a significance level of p<0.05. The results showed that pilates exercises cause significant changes in the quality of life and pain in women with multiple sclerosis. Therefore, pilates exercises improve the quality of life and pain in women with multiple sclerosis, and these patients should use this type of exercise as a complementary treatment along with drug therapy.