The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Benefits after 8 weeks of Pilates

    pilates_mat_1Researchers from the University of Miami, in Florida report their experience.

    First, the details.

    • 22 adults with no experience in Pilates were assigned to a treatment group.
      • 8-week traditional mat Pilates program that met 1 hour/day, 3 times/week
      • A control group
    • Pilates classes consisted primarily of beginner and intermediate level exercises.

    And, the results.

    The Pilates group showed significantly improved in several areas.

    • Relative body fat (-1.2%)
    • Sit-and-reach (+7.5 cm)
    • Shoulder reach (+6.9 cm)
    • Curl-up (+14 reps)
    • Low back extension (+7 reps) scores
    • Waist circumference (-2.7 cm; 1.1 inch)
    • Chest circumference (-1.7 cm; 0.7 inches)
    • Arm circumference (-0.5 cm; 0.2 inches).

    There were no changes in the control group.

    The bottom line?
    There were significant differences between the group for curl-ups and low back extensions at the start of the study. Therefore, it’s not possible to accept these reported differences.

    However, based on the available data, the authors concluded, “Muscular endurance, and flexibility significantly improved after 8 weeks of traditional mat Pilates.”

    An earlier study by these researchers reported significant improvement in physical fitness: body composition, flexibility and muscular endurance.

    10/13/09 22:14 JR

    Leave a Comment

    You must be logged in to post a comment.