Pilates as Physiotherapy: Why You Should Try It
Physiotherapy is the assessment and treatment of injury, chronic disease, persistent pain and can assist in the maintenance of your general health and well-being.
There are many different treatment techniques including therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, soft tissue mobilisation (massage) and dry needling. Of these techniques, exercise is one of the most utilised modalities by physiotherapists. Exercise can be used to strengthen your body, improve mobility and retrain your muscles to assist your recovery from injury and to optimise your general function.
Pilates is a gentle style of exercise that Physiotherapists often prescribe. There are benefits both for the rehabilitation of injury, but also to help assist the prevention of injury occurring in the future.
What Is Pilates?
Motion is lotion! Getting the body moving is one of the best things you can do to balance the demands of our modern lifestyle.
Pilates is a low-impact exercise that can improve quality of movement, strength and flexibility. It is an exercise that is suitable to be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. Your physiotherapist can adapt your Pilates program to accommodate any health or mobility concerns. Pilates particularly good option for pre and post-natal exercise, older adults and rehabilitation post cancer treatment.
Pilates can assist with:
- Posture
- Core stability
- Balance and coordination
- Flexibility
- Alignment
- Breathing patterns
- Movement
- Persistent Pain
As a regular exercise, Pilates can improve general health and wellbeing through increased body awareness, posture control and a stronger, more mobile body.
Pilates Into Physiotherapy: Is It Effective?
There have been several clinical studies and research on the effects of Pilates on patients in need of physiotherapy, particularly among those who are experiencing chronic back pain.
A study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science concluded that Pilates exercises do offer relief and functional enhancement among patients with chronic lower back pain. A more recent published review (Cíntia Domingues de Freitas, 2020) has concluded that Pilates can help to reduce the fear of movement that often results as a consequence of low back pain. Improving confidence with movement can significantly reduce the disability associated with persistent back pain and will help to get you back to doing the things you love.
Although there’s more room for research and recommendations for Pilates as physiotherapy, rest assured that we prescribe safe and effective programs at NQ Physio Solutions. All of our pilates programs are carefully planned and calibrated to give you maximum benefits and to supplement any ongoing medical treatment or therapy. Our physiotherapy clinic in Townsville, Queensland, welcomes walk-ins and referrals for clinical Pilates.
Is Pilates Safe for Everyone?
A common question that we get from people who’re interested in doing Pilates for the first time is whether it’s safe for them to do a wide range of exercises when they’re experiencing pain or are recovering from an injury. Generally, when adapted to your individual needs, pilates is a safe and gentle exercise suitable for most people. Our pilates trained physiotherapists will complete a thorough assessment of your individual needs to ensure that pilates is an appropriate exercise for you.
If you have any further questions or are interested in starting Pilates, Get in touch with NQ Physio Solutions today.
View our Pilates Class Timetable
Cíntia Domingues de Freitas, D. A. (2020). Effects of the pilates method on Kinesiophobia with chronic non-specific low back pain: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 300-306.