Clarkson University Study Finds Online Pilates Program Helps People With Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

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Research at Clarkson University is helping people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) move with less pain and more confidence.

The study, published in the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, looked at whether an eight-week, online Pilates program could help people with symptomatic joint hypermobility. The program was designed specifically for people with hEDS, a condition that can cause joint pain, fatigue and fear of movement.

A total of 420 people took part in the study. Of those, 200 participants completed the online Pilates program. They were asked to do one of five 25-minute modified Pilates sessions three times a week for eight weeks. Another 220 participants were placed in a comparison group and began the program after an eight-week delay.

Researchers measured hypermobility-related pain, fatigue-related function, body awareness, fear of movement and overall activity levels.

The results showed that participants in the Pilates group reported less pain and better function compared with the comparison group. They also reported improved body awareness and less fear of movement. Overall activity levels did not change. Improvements were still present six months later.

The researchers concluded that an independent, online Pilates program designed for people with hypermobility may be a safe, cost-effective way to reduce pain and improve daily function. The program may also help people build confidence in movement and support long-term exercise habits.

Three Clarkson Doctor of Physical Therapy graduates - Cheyenne Vivlamore Zion Higgins, Tiffany Jandrew and Alison (Greene) Adams - were co-authors on a new scientific paper based on research they completed as students at Clarkson. The study was led by Professor Emeritus Leslie Russek, their research adviser and the project's primary investigator.

The full study, "An Online Pilates Program for People with Hypermobility: A Pragmatic Clinical Trial Looking at Function, Interoception, Kinesiophobia, and Physical Activity Levels," is available in the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare.