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Pilates really does help lower back pain!
By Christina | April 23, 2008
In the world of neurological ailments, only headaches rank higher than back pain as a job related disability. That’s a lot of people with backaches. A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that Pilates is in fact effective in alleviating lower back pain. It isn’t that you take a class and voila you are cured. The class focuses on the core of the body and that in turn strengthens the abdominals and lower back which leads to less pain.
The study was conducted in a therapeutic setting. There was a control group who was under the standard care for low back pain and the Pilates group who was treated in addition to the standard care with Pilates exercises. The study concluded the Pilates group had lower levels of functional disability and pain intensity than the control group had. One year later, the participants who continued the exercises were still reaping the benefits.
As an instructor, you need to be careful not to assess anyone’s ailments or injuries and recommend they take Pilates as a cure because not all back pain will be cured or relieved with Pilates, in fact, you could make the situation far worse. As a participant, be sure to get clearance from your doctor before you start any exercise program, especially if you are starting with an inbalance or injury.
