| Pilates, an eighty year old exercise format, has over | | | | positive long term effect on preventing recurrent |
| the last decade gained considerable scientific respect | | | | episodes of back pain. |
| as an effective rehabilitation tool for back muscles | | | | These deep muscles are the exact ones targeted by |
| weakened by back pain. Pilates is an exercise system | | | | Josef Pilates many years previously, when he coined |
| founded by Josef Pilates in the 1930's. It rapidly | | | | the phrase 'core stability'. When Josef Pilates devised |
| gained popularity among dancers, both modern and | | | | the Pilates Programme in the 1930's he did so without |
| ballet for its apparently amazing ability to strengthen | | | | the benefit of scientific knowledge, yet decades |
| the trunk while making muscles lean and strong | | | | later, his principles have been validated and reached |
| rather than bulked-up, as occurs with other muscle | | | | wide acceptance both within medical rehabilitation and |
| strengthening regimes. | | | | the fitness world as an excellent tool in rehabilitating |
| Chartered Physiotherapists became interested in | | | | spinal pain. |
| Pilates some 15-20 years ago in response to ground | | | | The benefits of Pilates are multiple and are applicable |
| breaking university research which started in Australia | | | | whether the regime is used because of a specific |
| and was then taken up by research teams | | | | medical condition or not. Ongoing university research |
| throughout the world. At this time one of the first | | | | has identified the following benefits: |
| research questions for which doctors and allied health | | | | - longer leaner muscles (less bulk, more freedom of |
| clinicians sought an answer was to identify exactly | | | | movement) |
| what happens to back muscles when back pain is | | | | - improved postural problems |
| present. From clinical practice physiotherapists knew | | | | - increased core strength of the lumbo-pelvic region, |
| in advance that there was a muscle response to pain, | | | | along with improved mobility of the spine and limbs |
| but we were keen that scientists would back up | | | | - enhanced functional fitness |
| clinical findings with scientific evidence. The answer | | | | - balanced strength and flexibility |
| came over many years of research. | | | | - heightened body awareness |
| The next question was to look and see if any | | | | - no impact, easy on worn joints |
| consistent specific and repeated patterns of muscle | | | | - improved performance in sport e.g. golf, football, |
| dysfunction emerge in response to back pain. Again | | | | soccer, tennis |
| the answer proved that what we were finding in | | | | - improved balance, coordination and circulation |
| clinical practice was true: there were definite patterns | | | | The basic principle of Pilates is gaining 'core stability'. |
| of muscle dysfunction, but by the same token, the | | | | Research has identified a number of different muscle |
| patterns were not necessarily consistent to the same | | | | strategies for achieving correct core stability, along |
| diagnosis on different people, meaning that each | | | | with a number of commonly occurring muscle 'cheats'. |
| person needs to be individually examined clinically. | | | | So unless an individual is taught the correct core |
| However, the evidence for recognisable different | | | | stability strategy for them, the known benefits will |
| patterns of muscle dysfunction brought significant | | | | not occur. This is why Chartered Physiotherapists |
| improvements to assessment and treatment of | | | | usually perform an individual physical assessment and |
| dysfunction. This meant that specific muscle | | | | teach the ideal strategy for each person prior to |
| re-education could be taught to bring improved | | | | creating Pilates classes. This allows a class to be |
| success in restoring muscles to their pre-back pain | | | | customised to suit a number of back presentations. It |
| status. One of the main tenets of back muscle | | | | also means that Pilates can be offered at different |
| rehabilitation is the scientifically proven finding that | | | | levels of complexity. |
| restrengthening the deep lumbo-pelvic muscles had | | | | |