Pilates for Rehabilitation- Does It Work?
Today the Pilates method is widely practiced for both rehabilitation and fitness. Physical Therapists are recognizing Pilates as one of the most successful methods to treat many injuries, spinal disorders and joint diseases. However, Pilates rehabilitation is not only limited to just orthopedics and spine health but it also benefits individuals with neurological problems (MS), chronic pain (fibromyalgia), women’s health needs (menopause, osteoporosis, pre/post natal), performance enhancement needs (athletes), arthritic impairments (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis) and other movement dysfunctions.
How does Pilates method work? Pilates therapeutic exercises focus on individual asymmetries in flexibility, strength and muscle recruitment patterns. Pilates trains several muscle groups at once through smooth, continuous movements. By developing a proper technique, clients can actually re-train their body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion. No other exercise form is so gentle to the body while giving it a challenging workout!
Let’s think about injuries. When you are injured it causes a lot of pain in the injured area of the body and you start to compensate that with other parts of your body by protecting the injured area. If you avoid using the injured part, your body learns to use other muscles and the injured part become weaker and gradually causes muscle imbalances in your body. Once muscle imbalance occurs you are losing efficiency of the muscle contraction and tend to develop compensatory muscle patterns and faulty movement patterns. Some muscles become overused and others underused. These inefficient patterns often become normalized and result in additional imbalances, strains and pains but also dysfunction and discomfort for other areas of the body.
Professional Pilates instructors give great attention and facilitation to you to gain strength, coordination, control and function in your weaker or injured muscles and joints. Pilates exercise not only leads to improvement at the injury site, but also improves your overall strength and function.
However, it is important to note that most Pilates instructors are not trained to work with rehabilitation. Always ask your instructors’ qualifications and beware of those Pilates instructors who don’t have real clinical knowledge and skills about your injuries or diseases. Done improperly, some of the Pilates exercises can slow down the healing process or even be contraindicated.
A good Pilates instructor with holistic and therapeutic teaching style can help you to balance your body both physically and mentally and successfully support your healing process. Pilates is a mind and body method and a great natural alternative medicine for those who are looking for a different rehabilitation way. And the best thing is – it’s works too!
How does Pilates method work? Pilates therapeutic exercises focus on individual asymmetries in flexibility, strength and muscle recruitment patterns. Pilates trains several muscle groups at once through smooth, continuous movements. By developing a proper technique, clients can actually re-train their body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion. No other exercise form is so gentle to the body while giving it a challenging workout!
Let’s think about injuries. When you are injured it causes a lot of pain in the injured area of the body and you start to compensate that with other parts of your body by protecting the injured area. If you avoid using the injured part, your body learns to use other muscles and the injured part become weaker and gradually causes muscle imbalances in your body. Once muscle imbalance occurs you are losing efficiency of the muscle contraction and tend to develop compensatory muscle patterns and faulty movement patterns. Some muscles become overused and others underused. These inefficient patterns often become normalized and result in additional imbalances, strains and pains but also dysfunction and discomfort for other areas of the body.
Professional Pilates instructors give great attention and facilitation to you to gain strength, coordination, control and function in your weaker or injured muscles and joints. Pilates exercise not only leads to improvement at the injury site, but also improves your overall strength and function.
However, it is important to note that most Pilates instructors are not trained to work with rehabilitation. Always ask your instructors’ qualifications and beware of those Pilates instructors who don’t have real clinical knowledge and skills about your injuries or diseases. Done improperly, some of the Pilates exercises can slow down the healing process or even be contraindicated.
A good Pilates instructor with holistic and therapeutic teaching style can help you to balance your body both physically and mentally and successfully support your healing process. Pilates is a mind and body method and a great natural alternative medicine for those who are looking for a different rehabilitation way. And the best thing is – it’s works too!
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