The Effects of Pilates Training on Exercise Capacity and Respiratory Muscle Performance in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with significant functional impairment and increased risk for cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. Along with pharmacological therapy, exercise seems to be a very promising intervention to improve disease-related outcomes, including functional capacity and systemic manifestations. Despite the fact that aerobic and strengthening exercises have been shown to be useful in patients with RA, there have been limited research on the effects of pilates training. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of clinical pilates training on exercise capacity, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, respiratory muscle endurance, respiratory function, pain, balance, core stability, dyspnea, functional status, fatigue, quality of life, depression and anxiety in patients with RA.