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(and we love pudding)
Proof is in the pudding.
Study Finds Pilates Helps Back Pain Sufferers More than Other Therapies
Low-back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability in the United States, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Odds are, you’re among the sufferers of this pervasive, chronic and painful health condition — and you’re always looking for better ways to find relief without taking pain medication all the time.
One method worth trying? Pilates.
Recent research supports what many Pilates experts and aficionados have been saying for decades: That doing Pilates is not only great for sculpting a strong, lean body — but also for preventing and treating low-back pain.
According to a small, randomized, controlled study published in the Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, participants who practiced Pilates over a four-week period experienced more relief from their symptoms than those who went through typical treatment programs.
In light of the growing popularity of Pilates in therapeutic settings, researchers from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, decided to test whether Pilates exercises were effective in improving the condition of patients.
The investigators randomly assigned 39 active adults ages 20–55 with chronic low-back pain to either a Pilates training group or a control group. The experimental group exercised on Pilates equipment, while the control group received the usual care, defined as consultation with a physician and other specialists and healthcare professionals, as necessary. Treatment sessions were designed to train the activation of specific muscles thought to stabilize the lumbar-pelvic region.
Post-testing revealed that the Pilates participants had significantly lower levels of functional disability and pain intensity than the control subjects.
In the Clinic and Beyond
Since 2004, I have been using Pilates in addition to manual therapy, modalities and traditional physical therapy interventions to treat patients of all ages and diagnoses. What has traditionally been known as a form of exercise for active younger populations and dancers is now being used with older adults with tremendous results.
There are a few main reasons why Pilates is an excellent choice of exercise for the older adult population in the clinic and beyond. First, the principles and techniques used in Pilates are a natural fit for physical therapy, where many of these patients often begin their fitness journey. With an emphasis on core stabilization, neuromuscular re-education and postural correction, the very nature of Pilates exercise aligns with many of the techniques we as physical therapists use to treat these patients.
Whether a patient has lumbar spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease, physical therapy will most likely focus on improving flexibility, posture and local core stabilizers. As therapists we will spend time educating the patient on recruiting the correct muscles and inhibiting the muscles that exacerbate the dysfunction.
So many long-standing orthopedic injuries we see in older adults stem from an imbalance of some kind, and Pilates exercises can correct these imbalances by emphasizing both strength and flexibility simultaneously.
Pilates is also ideal for older patients because the equipment used provides the clinician with even more opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Each apparatus can provide support or resistance- sometimes both-and can allow for more creativity and freedom in rehabilitation, which is sometimes necessary for our older patients.
Reputable Pilates training programs include guidance on working with patients with injuries and limitations, and require many hours of practice and observation before completion.
Most respectable Pilates instructors are very open to collaborating on a client's care, and welcome the advice of physical therapists to help make their client's sessions more effective.
Keep an Open Mind
As physical therapists we have many tools available to us. I have found Pilates to be one of the best, and I am definitely not alone in this discovery. As this fitness trend continues to grow, try to keep an open mind and see it as an effective intervention for not only our younger athletic population, but for our grandmothers and grandfathers as well.
Older adults can use Pilates for healing and wellness benefits
By Meghan B. Tierney, PT, MPT, OCS
To those who have never participated in Pilates, it can be a useful tool in rehabilitation.
Pilates is an exercise form that focuses on developing core stability and flexibility. It can successfully address muscular imbalances related to poor posture. Pilates focuses on restoring full-body movement abilities.
The Pilates Method was developed by Joseph Pilates during World War I when he was placed in a forced internment camp in England with other German nationals. A life-long health enthusiast, the method evolved through his work with sick and injured detainees. The Pilates Method was first introduced in the United States in the mid- 1920s when Pilates left Germany and began working with the dance community in New York.
Pilates has implications for use with a variety of patients including those with lumbar and cervical spine dysfunction, osteoarthritis and postoperative conditions. The principles of Pilates (centering, concentration, control, precision, breath and flow) are concepts that are a focus within a comprehensive treatment plan, making Pilates a natural complement to physical therapy.
Various pieces of equipment are used to enhance Pilates training, assisting with the completion of an exercise for patients with less strength and stability or increasing the difficulty of an exercise for later-stage rehabilitation.
Created when Pilates discovered that hospital bedsprings provide assistance or resistance for injured patients, the Reformer is the most widely used spring-based apparatus. Modern reformers vary in features and design, but all utilize the concept of progressive resistance— as springs lengthen, resistance increases. The Reformer can be an essential part of a rehabilitation program for patients who are unable to complete traditional mat exercises. It provides a stable base for individuals lacking core control and is extremely adjustable, allowing patients of all conditions to benefit from its use. Today Pilates is offered in many formats including one-on-one training with an experienced instructor and group classes provided in a studio.
Pilates is an exercise form that focuses on developing core stability and flexibility. It can successfully address muscular imbalances related to postural dysfunction and focuses on full-body integration to restore normal movement patterns.
“There is evidence that Pilates is an effective form of therapeutic exercise to treat many common dysfunctions.”
Provided by Sydney James, MSPT
“Post-testing revealed that the Pilates participants had significantly lower levels of functional disability and pain intensity than the control subjects.
And a year later, the Pilates participants had maintained their physical improvements.”
Title of study: Pilates-Based Therapeutic Exercise: Effect on Subjects With Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain and Functional Disability: A Randomized Controlled Trial Research team: Rochenda Rydeard PT, MSc, Andrew Leger PT PhD, Drew Smith PhD Published in the Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy
