An Efficient Combination
Physiotherapy and Pilates offers an efficient and thorough combination which accelerates the healing process. This happens because the issue a person is having is addressed and treated from many different angles.
Physiotherapy is used for assessment, diagnosis and manual repositioning of the muscles and joints as needed.
Pilates’ philosophies are used for teaching someone how to move their body more efficiently, how to soften and lengthen overused muscles and joints and how to encourage and strengthen underused muscles and joints. This teaches someone the postural re-education necessary to make long lasting changes.
Why do we get sore?
Most of our chronic aches and pains result from holding and moving our bodies within poor postures. An example might be a person with back pain. There wasn’t any trauma or existing pathology. The back has just become more stiff and sore over the years. Their posture is commonly either too slouchy or too sway back, like the pictures below. Some of their joints are compressed and unable to move properly and some of their muscles are tight and overworked.
Using ice or heat, taking some anti-inflammatories and doing some gentle stretching will decrease their pain and eventually they will return to a more functional state. There has been no long-term change made though. Their back will flare up again and again. They need to commit to make the necessary postural changes in their body and then learn how to move more efficiently within these new positions.
Physiotherapy and Pilates will teach you:
How to find a more efficient posture
How to weight bear evenly to distribute the ground reaction forces more efficiently
How to fully move through your hips and back rather than hinging at a segment
How to engage your supporting muscles so your tight muscles can relax
