What is Pilates therapy?
Pilates therapy is a whole-body therapy that is especially helpful for treating back pain, including lower back pain and scoliosis. Parkview Therapy Services offers pilates therapy at its downtown Fort Wayne location.
Pilates therapy focuses on the body as a whole, not just an isolated problem. During Pilates therapy, the body is placed in the most symmetrical and balanced position in an effort to place less stress on the body during daily activity or sport-specific activity.
What are the benefits of Pilates therapy?
The major benefit of Pilates therapy is that it helps balance muscles and restore proper body movement and positioning. When recovering from a knee injury or replacement for example, there may be an imbalance in the strength of the quadriceps and the hamstring. Pilates therapy can use various exercises and movements to correct that and build the weaker muscle.
Another benefit of Pilates therapy is its scalability. Movements can be adapted and made easier or more difficult depending on a patient’s condition or activity level. Regardless of your level of strength, fitness or stage of recovery, Pilates exercises can be modified to benefit your specific situation.
Parkview Therapy Services offers direct access to our therapies.
Call 260-266-4007 to request an appointment.
What injuries or conditions are commonly treated with Pilates?
The most common condition that Pilates benefits is lower back pain because it increases the core strength to support the spine and improve postural alignment. We also specialize in Pilates therapy for scoliosis, as it’s a great therapy for stretching and strengthening the muscles around the spine to provide spinal support.
Pilates is beneficial for all ages and injuries or ailments. Fibromyalgia, osteoporosis and pre- and post-partum conditions also benefit from Pilates. It’s excellent for athletes as well. Many professional athletes use Pilates for flexibility and strengthening post-injury, or to improve balance and core strength to prevent injuries.
How is Pilates therapy with Parkview Therapy Services different from a regular Pilates class?
The therapeutic Pilates services we offer are purposefully designed to help you recover from your injury – not just tone muscles and increase flexibility like you might get at a normal Pilates class. In addition, the equipment in our clinic provides a different type of exercise experience than mat Pilates that you would typically get in a normal Pilates class.
Our therapists have Comprehensive Pilates certifications, meaning that we can instruct patients on all of the various Pilates apparatuses. This is a 12- to 18-month certification that includes observation, practice and teaching hours followed by a test and practical exam.
Our Comprehensive certification gives us the knowledge base to provide quality care and help you recover from injury.
Are there any misconceptions of Pilates as a therapy?
People tend to think that Pilates physical therapy involves only high-functioning patients, but this not true. The exercises begin with the basics and progress according to the patient’s ability. As patients progress, the Pilates exercises will increase in difficulty and will change so the patient will not be doing the same treatment or exercises each time. That makes this type of therapy different from other traditional therapies.
Are there any restrictions for using Pilates therapy?
Patients who are in the acute stage of an injury (48-72 hours post-injury) or post-surgery should wait until they are no longer acute or have been released to return to activity from their physician. Outside of that restriction, Pilates can be easily modified for most conditions.
