Pilates for Pain

Pilates exercises can be an effective part of a rehabilitation program and can help to reduce pain while you recover.

ldquo;Physical Therapy? Nah. You’re a Pilates Instructor. You’ll know what to do.”

This was my orthopedic doctor’s exact response to whether or not I should invest the time and energy to undergo physical therapy for two very painful herniated lumbar discs.

As a Pilates instructor, I knew I had a good grasp on helping clients work through ailments, but I didn’t know if I could heal myself. I didn’t even know how I had herniated my discs in the first place. I asked if it could have been years of carrying heavy laundry bags on one shoulder, moving heavy boxes, or indulging in advanced Yoga asanas like the scorpion pose without support from my “powerhouse.” The doctor told me that I would never know the origins of my spinal woes. Fine. Let it remain a mystery. But could I possibly become my own client? And how could I use Pilates to manage pain? I was about to find out.

	Without kinetics—energy in motion—we literally become stuck in our pain.

Creating a Healing Pilates Routine

Shortly after receiving an official Western medical diagnosis, I traveled to India to explore the culture and give my body the opportunity to heal. When I arrived, my lower back was in so much pain that prolonged sitting and standing felt like surgery without anesthesia. There I was in India, land of Yoga and meditation, unable to sit still for more than five minutes. Forget about perfecting my downward dog!

Pilates Exercises

I considered the options and, after a few weeks of major discomfort, began to explore modifications of elementary Authentic Pilates mat exercises. Small movements would definitely bring me back to a place where I could at least carry on every day activities without discomfort. Starting with a few pre-Pilates exercises like supine leg lifts, I designed a personal physical therapy course.

Performing beginner's exercises like The Hundred and Leg Circles felt new and different, similar to the sensations I felt as a novice Pilates student. To limit the range of motions, I bent my knees and kept my head down during the routine. I rejuvenated my weakened powerhouse through a slowed-down Series of Five exercise.

I learned what worked and what didn’t, when to move through the pain and when to ease off. I became more attuned to my body than ever before. I really listened to it, and in true Indian yogini spirit, I humbly released my ego. Within a few weeks of daily practice, the pain began to diminish and I could meditate seated for twenty whole minutes. My Pilates routine and Pilates exercises were really working. By the trip’s end, I could glide softly through a few Yoga poses, though it would be another six months before Downward Dog felt more like home.

Pilates as Physical Therapy

The experience of Pilates as physical therapy changed the way I practiced both acupuncture and Pilates. I returned to New York with a greater strength and a profound sense of empathy for others in pain, especially my Pilates clients. As new clients arrived at Pilates practice—all in varying degrees of physical discomfort with sciatica, spinal stenosis, acute quadratus, and lumborum strain—their pain became real to me and I was there to move them through it with nurturing attentiveness.

Why Pilates Works as Physical Therapy

One of the keys to a balanced body is a dynamic flow of energy. Movement, however small or simple, guides this energy. Without kinetics—energy in motion—we literally become stuck in our pain. The Pilates workout, modified to suit the client’s condition, can unlock pain through guided, linear movements supported by the breath. Pilates brought me back into my body and into my groove, allowing me to move uninhibited by pain. Let it do the same for you.