Pilates training and elastic taping improve dynamic balance in early Parkinson’s disease: a six-month randomized controlled study

Background To investigate the effects of Pilates and elastic taping on balance and postural control in patients with early-stage Parkinson’s disease (PD). This randomized controlled trial included 31 patients with early stage PD. Patients were randomized into 3 groups (Pilates training-PG, Pilates and Elastic Taping Group-PETG and control group-CG). Patients (PG and PETG) performed Pilates exercises twice a week for 6 weeks. In the PETG, elastic tape was applied to the upper back of the patients after each Pilates session. Balance and postural control assessments were performed at baseline, week 6, month 3 and 6 in all groups. Clinical balance functions were assessed with Timed up and Go Test (TUG) and Limits of Stability Test (LOS), Tandem Walk Test (TWT) and Sit-to Stand Test (STS) were performed using Balance Master performance test device. Results Primary non-parametric analyses revealed, statistically significant within-group changes in the movement velocity and endpoint parameters of the LOS, the gait speed of the TWT, and the rising index of the STS in PETG over a 6-month period ( p < 0.05). The maximum excursion parameter of the LOS showed a statistically significant within-group change in PG ( p < 0.05). Secondary multi-factor Repeated Measures ANOVA confirmed robust main effects of time for reaction time and tandem speed ( p < 0.001). However, no statistically significant group × time interactions were observed for the assessed balance parameters ( p > 0.05). Conclusions Although Pilates training combined with elastic taping does not demonstrate definitive statistical superiority over standalone pilates, selected balance and postural control parameters showed statistically significant within-group changes over the six-month follow-up. However, the absence of statistically significant group × time interactions limits the interpretation of these changes as intervention-specific effects. Further randomized controlled studies with larger samples are needed to clarify the effects of Pilates training with or without elastic taping on balance and postural control in early-stage Parkinson’s disease.