Pilates method as an innovative tool for physical rehabilitation of military personnel after combat injuries in Ukraine

Abstract

The article investigates the effectiveness of the Pilates method within the physical rehabilitation system for servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who sustained combat injuries as a result of the Russian Federation's armed aggression. The relevance of the issue is driven by a significant increase in the number of military personnel requiring comprehensive restorative treatment following blast and mine injuries, gunshot wounds, traumatic brain injuries, and limb amputations. The aim of the study is to provide a scientific and theoretical justification for implementing the Pilates method as an innovative physical therapy tool within Ukraine's veteran rehabilitation system. The article reveals the genesis of the Pilates method, its original rehabilitative purpose developed under the conditions of World War I, and the current evidence base concerning its effectiveness in treating musculoskeletal disorders, spinal pain, post-amputation rehabilitation, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The core principles of the method (centering, control, concentration, precision, relaxation, flow, and breathing) are characterised in detail along with their correspondence to the specific rehabilitation needs of injured servicemen. International experience of Pilates application in veteran rehabilitation in the USA, United Kingdom, and EU countries is analysed. Based on an analysis of the domestic regulatory framework and the organisational structure of rehabilitation centres operated by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, a model is proposed for integrating rehabilitative Pilates into multidisciplinary physical therapy teams. Key barriers to implementation in Ukraine are identified: a shortage of certified specialists, an insufficient number of specialised units of equipment (Reformers, Cadillac, Wunda Chair,  Spine Corrector) in public healthcare facilities, and inadequate regulatory provisions for the clinical application of Pilates. Practical recommendations are formulated regarding the training of rehabilitative Pilates specialists at Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University and Smart Fitness Academy, as well as the inclusion of the method in the rehabilitation programmes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.