Clinical Pilates

Clinical Pilates

Pilates is an exercise method that places emphasis on alignment, breathing, core strength and control, coordination, and balance. It is popular because it is low impact and generally safe for most people to participate in. The difficulty and intensity of the exercises can also be adjusted to be as low or as high as required. Regular Pilates training can help to improve strength, endurance, coordination, balance and posture.

 

At Balance Core, we have physiotherapists who are trained in Pilates with DMA Clinical Pilates certification and Polestar Pilates certification. Combining professional physiotherapy background with Pilates concepts, a suitable exercise programme can be designed to suit each client’s unique needs. We incorporate clinical Pilates as a form of exercise therapy that is used in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques to help our clients achieve their goals.

Common Conditions and Concerns That Do Well With Clinical Pilates

It is important to note that no one single form of exercise can solve pain or injury. Clinical Pilates is often used in conjunction with a holistic physiotherapy treatment plan that includes a complete assessment, and a combination of therapeutic techniques. As a form of exercise therapy, we have found that people with the following issues benefit the most from Clinical Pilates:

Scoliosis

The imbalance of muscular tension and strength can be targeted with Pilates together with the focus on breathing

Postural errors

Pilates is helpful for building core control and muscular endurance to improve posture

Low back pain

Low back pain caused by poor core control and muscular imbalance can benefit from a combination of Physiotherapy techniques including Pilates as a part of exercise therapy

Hip pain

Hip tightness or instability can benefit from mobility exercises and stability exercises used in clinical Pilates

Knee pain

Overloading in the knees can be reduced through the improvement of core strength and control and better muscular endurance that can be improved with clinical Pilates

Shoulder pain

Overload in the shoulders often stem from poor core control and poor rib and scapular mobility. Clinical Pilates can be beneficial to improve these issues.

Foot pain

The lower limbs are often overloaded when there is a lack of postural stability which can benefit from clinical Pilates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who Can Benefit From Clinical Pilates at Balance Core?

Pilates is versatile and can be adapted to cater to people with a wide range of fitness levels and injuries. Hence, anybody can benefit from practising Pilates.

At Balance Core, we work mostly with patients recovering from injuries and bodily pain. Thus, we place more emphasis on clinical Pilates which uses Pilates principles and exercises as part of a Physiotherapy treatment plan rather than as a standalone treatment method.

What Can I Expect From A Clinical Pilates Session?

At Balance Core, Clinical Pilates is incorporated into our Integrated Balance Approach. After a systematic assessment and analysis of your challenges and needs, we will include a specific Clinical Pilates assessment to determine the best set of exercises to suit your needs. Your progress will then be measured using the same set of assessment tools over the next few sessions.

I Have Pain, Is It Safe For Me To Do Pilates?

Pain can be a result of an injury, but it can also be your body’s signal that something is overloaded or out of alignment. At Balance Core, all our clients will undergo a comprehensive assessment before we design a treatment programme that best suits them. If Clinical Pilates is not suitable, we will advise you accordingly and will prescribe other more effective and suitable treatment methods.

If you are in pain, we will first determine the source of pain. If you have an acute injury such as a sprained ligament or spinal disc injury, Clinical Pilates will unlikely be our first choice of treatment. Instead, we will facilitate the healing of your injury through manual therapy and/or through the use of modalities. When your injury has stabilised and is adequately recovered, we will incorporate Clinical Pilates as part of your exercise programme depending on your needs and the root cause of your problem that resulted in the injury in the first place.

If your pain is due to postural or movement errors, we will typically start by managing the pain through joint mobilisation or reducing the overload in your overworked soft tissue using manual therapy. Once the imbalances are corrected, we can start Clinical Pilates soon after to re-educate your muscles and neural system to improve your postural control and hence correct your movement errors.

As you will be working with a physiotherapist, rest assured that the Clinical Pilates exercises prescribed will be tailored to suit your needs and will be safe for you to perform even if you are experiencing pain.

How Is Clinical Pilates Different From Normal Pilates?

Put simply, Clinical Pilates is the use of the Pilates methods as part of a clinical approach to assessing and treating patients with physical ailments. “Normal” Pilates is often used as a mode of exercise. When used by rehabilitation specialists to treat pain, muscular imbalances and movement errors, it is classified as Clinical Pilates.

With a systematic and standardised assessment approach, the Pilates exercises used in Clinical Pilates are selected specifically to address your needs rather than performed as a general exercise.

At Balance Core, we combine our Integrated Balance Approach with Clinical Pilates principles to design exercises that best suit your unique needs. For example, you may notice that the exercises prescribed for each side of the body are different, depending on your specific issues and directional biases.

Do You Offer Pilates Classes?
No. Currently, we are only offering Clinical Pilates as part of our holistic physiotherapy treatment sessions.
Can I Choose To Only Do Clinical Pilates and Not Physiotherapy?

A comprehensive assessment is essential in determining the best treatment options for each client. Hence, currently we are only offering Clinical Pilates as part of our holistic physiotherapy treatment sessions rather than a standalone therapy session.

The reason for this is to ensure that our clients receive the best care, and not generalised treatment and exercise therapy that may not benefit them.

Why Are Some of The Exercises Performed on the Pilates Equipment Not the Standard Ones We See Online or in Other Studios?

We place strong emphasis on specific and targeted exercises to produce effective and efficient outcomes. Our physiotherapists may occasionally make use of Pilates equipment to design exercises that will help specific issues. You can think of it as a “physiotherapy exercise” instead.

Will I Have to Pay Extra to Do Clinical Pilates During My Usual Physiotherapy Session?
No. At Balance Core, Clinical Pilates is used in conjunction with other treatment modalities and are part of our holistic approach. Whether or not you do Clinical Pilates during your session, the charges will still be the same.
I Am Pregnant. Can I Do Clinical Pilates?

Yes! Do let your physiotherapist know if you are pregnant and necessary precautions will be taken during your physiotherapy session.

Pregnancy is a time when you experience a lot of changes. With hormonal shifts and changes in your body shape and centre of gravity, aches and pains are common in all 3 trimesters. Physiotherapy is useful for managing musculoskeletal pain in the pre- and post-natal stages.

Clinical Pilates, in particular, is often used as a form of low impact exercise that can be safely performed during pregnancy. The low-impact nature of the exercise method is ideal for maintaining strength and endurance during this time. As you are experiencing changes in your body and your sense of balance is challenged, the use of Pilates equipment often provides external support and stability to make exercise easier and give you more security.

Again, every person is different, even in pregnancy. A comprehensive physiotherapy assessment is essential prior to starting any new exercise programme.

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