When can you use Pilates for rehabilitation?

“Yeah, I think I recall my physio mentioning something about taking up Pilates to help my back.  Tell me how Pilates helps with rehabilitation and then how it can help my back?”

Rehabilitation

We have all had an injury that we have had to rehabilitate.  And we have all rehabilitated that injury in our own way. 

But what exactly does rehabilitation mean? 

Rehabilitation is the restoration of function, the return to normal daily activities and previous level of function of that particular joint, muscle, limb or body part that has been injured.  

When do you start rehabilitation?  

Rehabilitation is one of the steps in managing an injury.

General outline of how to manage injury:

1. Minimize the extent of the initial damage.
2. Reduce associated pain and inflammation.
3. Promote healing.
4. Maintain or restore flexibility, strength, muscle balance, proprioception and overall fitnessduring healing.
5. Rehabilitate to functionality of daily activities and normal sports activities.
6. Assess and correct any predisposing factors to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence.

All easier said than done.  How exactly is this process implemented and more importantly, where does Pilate fit in?  If you have sustained an injury, a visit to your health professional is first and foremost.  Steps 1-3 is where your health care professional comes in.  Steps 4-6 is where exercise and your fitness training, personal training and Pilates instructor come in.  A physiotherapist is a good place to get started to start the process of restoring flexibility, strength, muscle balance and proprioception.  It’s through regular practice and increased challenge of what was given to you by your physiotherapist or health professional that will help with overall fitness and return to daily functionality in life and sport.  This is where Pilates exercises and your Pilates instructor play a large role.

Pilates for Rehabilitation

Joseph Pilates suffered from many illnesses as a child which resulted in muscular weaknesses.  It was these weaknesses and illnesses that motivated Joseph Pilates to study movement and exercise which led to the development of what is now known as Pilates.

Pilates continues to be a form of exercise and movement that is used in the restorative process and is gaining popularity in rehabilitation setting.  Many physiotherapists, chiropractors and doctors will either use or recommend Pilates in the recovery/rehabilitation process.

What makes Pilates good for rehabilitation work?

• Low impact
• Many modifications of the exercises. This allows for almost everyone and injuries to do some exercise for the injured area.
• Principles behind Pilates work with restorative work. i.e. eight principles are: control, breath, flowing movement, precision, centering, stability, range of motion and opposition.
• Stability, range of motion, control
• Pilates works muscles both eccentrically and concentrically so strength and tone is muscles is hopefully more uniform and balances.
• Pilates can be done as gently or as intensely as possible.

What injured areas can Pilates help restore?

Pretty much every area of the body Pilates can help rehabilitate and restore.  Some of the common areas or injured areas that we see in the studio are:

• Back (e.g. upper, lower)
• Knees
• Feet (e.g. plantar fasciitis)
• Shoulders (e.g. frozen shoulder)
• Ankles
• Hips

Before starting Pilates or any other form of exercise after an injury, consult your doctor.  Usually visits to a physical therapist, physiotherapist, chiropractor and/or other health practitioners are usually accompanied during the rehabilitation process.