Clinical Pilates
As a physiotherapist, i have been incorporating Clinical Pilates into my practice for over 5 years
Clinical Pilates is used for patient-specific treatment after an injury or surgery. It is slightly different from regular pilates in that it takes into account an individual’s specific injuries and physical needs, instead of having multiple individuals complete the same program.
I have been practicing as a physiotherapist for almost 20 years. The first half of my career I was very fixated on the specific body part and the injury that the client complained of. Over the past 10 years through courses, mentors and experience, I have developed a different approach in assessment and treatment. No matter what the client comes in with, I look at the entire body. I love finding connections through the body to find the root cause or “driver” of the issue. When we can find the driver, then we can zero in on correcting the problem once and for all!
For example, I once had a client who reported right knee pain while running. She had seeked help many times and had her knee treated, but the pain always came back. After assessment and a gait/running analysis I determined that her knee pain was being driven by an over-rotation in her left hip while running. And the reason for the over-rotation was to compensate for a reduced right arm swing while running. When questioned about the shoulder she reported that she had indeed fractured her shoulder many years ago and never had full rehabilitation or recovery. She didn’t think it was necessary to mention this because it was so long ago and she had almost forgotten.
My knowledge in human anatomy combined with the principles of clinical pilates allowed me to look at the whole body and connect the pieces. I love this about physiotherapy, I feel a bit like a detective!
If you have had a session with you me then you’ve probably heard me talk about breathwork, neutral pelvis, correcting the ribcage position, the “TA” (transverse abdominus - deep core muscles), tripod stance, etc. These are a few of the principles and ideas behind clinical pilates.
Here are a few key advantages to clinical pilates:
Improved core strength and stability
Enhanced posture and alignment
Increased flexibility and range of motion
Reduction of pain and injury prevention
Enhanced muscle strength and tone
Improved balance and coordination
Better breathing techniques
Holistic approach to rehabilitation
Personalized exercise programs
Mind-body connection
When combined with an individual, specific approach, it can work wonders!
