Resumo:
To evaluate the effect of the Pilates solo method via telecare in reducing musculoskeletal pain in caregivers of functionally dependent elderly individuals. This quantitative, prospective, longitudinal, quasi-experimental, before-and-after study linked to the Matrix project “Educational Innovations for preventing/reducing the burden on caregivers”. The research was conducted remotely at the State Reference Center for Health Care for the Elderly, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The participants were caregivers of functionally dependent elderly individuals registered at the aforementioned institution. Data collection included sociodemographic questionnaires, functional assessments, the Nordic Questionnaire for Musculoskeletal Symptoms, the Visual Analogue Scale, and the Zarit Burden Scale. Participants performed Pilates solo exercises for 12 weeks, three times a week for 50 minutes, and at the end of the study, they received a virtual booklet with all the exercises and postural guidance in videos proposed during the research. The limitations presented by the caregivers in performing the exercises were also respected and the necessary adaptations were made. The data were analyzed with the help of SPSS 25.0. Thirteen caregivers participated in the study, daughters, black, middle-aged women, with an income of up to one minimum wage and medium to higher education.Regarding the provision of care, they were primary caregivers, did not have a caregiver course, had performed this role for more than a year, and provided care to elderly people with a high degree of functional dependence. There was a significant reduction in the upper and lower back and hips/thighs. Although it did not significantly reduce overall pain, the Pilates mat exercises via telecare reduced pain in regions that are most requested in positioning transfers. In addition, it created a space and thought about the need to take care of oneself, becoming a moment of welcome and pleasure. However, telehealth may present barriers, and it is a technology that requires further studies to understand the relationship between the daily lives of these individuals and the practice of exercises via this means since the research presented many dropouts. As a limitation, this study presents a small sample, as well as the non-randomization of the compared groups, so it is not possible to generalize the findings.
