How the Feldenkrais Method® Improves Balance and Walking in People with Osteoarthritis

Article Summary

A study of older adults with osteoarthritis found that regular Feldenkrais Method® Awareness Through Movement® classes improved balance, gait, and overall movement function. Participants attended two classes per week for 30 weeks and demonstrated measurable improvements in dynamic balance and walking ability. Rather than focusing on stretching or strengthening alone, the Feldenkrais Method® helps people learn more efficient ways to organize movement, distribute effort, and improve coordination. These findings suggest that movement learning can play an important role in maintaining mobility, confidence, and quality of life as we age.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility as we age.

For many people, the challenge is not simply discomfort in a hip or knee. It is the gradual loss of confidence in movement. Walking becomes less fluid. Balance becomes less reliable. Everyday activities require more effort than they once did.

This is why a study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine caught my attention.

Researchers evaluated the effects of a series of Feldenkrais Method® Awareness Through Movement® classes on balance, walking, function, and quality of life in older adults with osteoarthritis.

What they found was impressive.

The Study

The study followed 15 adults with osteoarthritis whose average age was 67 years.

Participants attended one-hour Feldenkrais Method® classes twice per week for 30 weeks, completing a total of 60 lessons.

The classes were organized into three ten-week segments:

• Developing movement awareness and self-care
• Improving function of the pelvis and lower limbs
• Enhancing balance and walking

Researchers evaluated participants before and after the program using measures of balance, walking ability, endurance, quality of life, physical activity, and gait analysis.

What Improved?

After 30 weeks of classes, participants demonstrated measurable improvements in dynamic balance, particularly on the Four Square Step Test, a widely used assessment of stepping ability and balance.

Researchers also observed improvements in gait—the way participants walked.

These changes suggest that participants were moving with greater efficiency and coordination after the program than before it began.

Attendance remained high throughout the study, indicating that the lessons were practical, accessible, and well tolerated by the participants.

Why the Feldenkrais Method® Helps

Unlike exercise programs that focus primarily on strengthening muscles or increasing flexibility, the Feldenkrais Method® approaches movement as a learning process.

Through gentle, exploratory movement lessons, people learn to:

• Sense how they organize themselves in action
• Distribute effort more efficiently
• Improve coordination throughout the whole self
• Reduce unnecessary tension
• Discover easier ways to move

For people with osteoarthritis, this can be particularly important.

Pain often leads us to protect certain joints. Over time, we unconsciously alter how we walk, stand, bend, or turn. These compensations can create additional strain elsewhere and gradually reduce mobility.

Feldenkrais® lessons help people become aware of these patterns and discover more comfortable, efficient, and effective ways to move.

A Different Way to Think About Osteoarthritis

Many approaches focus primarily on managing symptoms.

The Feldenkrais Method® offers a different perspective.

Rather than asking:

“How do I force this joint to work better?”

The question becomes:

“How am I organizing myself when I move, and what other possibilities are available?”

That shift often leads to meaningful improvements in balance, walking, comfort, and confidence.

As movement becomes better organized, effort is distributed more effectively throughout the whole self. Walking becomes smoother. Balance becomes more reliable. Everyday activities often become easier and more enjoyable.

Learning Creates Change

One of the most important ideas in the Feldenkrais Method® is that movement is learned.

And if movement is learned, it can be learned differently.

The participants in this study did not spend 30 weeks stretching harder, forcing better posture, or pushing through discomfort.

Instead, they spent 30 weeks learning.

They learned to sense themselves more clearly.

They learned to coordinate themselves more effectively.

They learned new options for movement.

The improvements in balance and gait observed in the study are a powerful reminder that learning remains possible throughout life.

The Takeaway

After 30 weeks of Feldenkrais Method® classes, participants demonstrated measurable improvements in balance and walking.

For people living with osteoarthritis, these changes can make everyday activities easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable.

The study reinforces what many Feldenkrais® practitioners and students have observed for years:

When movement becomes better organized, balance improves, walking becomes easier, and people often regain confidence in their ability to move.

References

Webb, R., Cofré Lizama, L. E., & Galea, M. P. (2013). Moving with Ease: Feldenkrais Method Classes for People with Osteoarthritis. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013, Article ID 479142.

Massage Magazine. Feldenkrais Method Helps Improve Osteoarthritis. June 2014.