Referred to Pilates for back pain?

So many clients get sent to Pilates class by various medical practitioners when they have back pain that won't settle down. I think that is wonderful, but clients should be a little more cautious when taking advice from a person that is not the Pilates teacher that is currently teaching their classes and getting to know their bodies.

Here are some good questions to ask:

1. What would you like the goals to be for my Pilates practice? Sometimes the practitioner want you to gain more flexibility, other times they want you to build more strength. Finding out the specifics of what they think, is a great start.

2. Ask the referring party if they do Pilates themselves? A person with experience in Pilates will have a better idea of how to help you find the right Pilates class for your needs.

3. Ask the referring party if they know a studio or instructor in the area that can help? Sometimes they have wonderful networks and it could save you a bunch of time and trial classes to get a personal referral.

4. Would they like to send some notes: Even just a few sentences put together on a prescription paper could direct your teacher to a better start for your Pilates practice. Before leaving, ask them to write a few quick notes for you to pass on to the teacher.

When it comes to Pilates and back pain there is no blanket solution. Some exercise will work for you and others won't. The key is to afford yourself the opportunity to find out what your body needs. Historically Pilates was also designed for circus performers, gymnasts and athletes and there are many exercises that will not be suitable for you when you start with back pain. This is where it is key to find a person to do class with that has experience in clinical Pilates or training in this area so that you are sure that they have learnt the additional tools needed for your program. There is so much knowledge in the vast world of Pilates that it is not hard to find skilled teachers. Pilates instructors love helping people and learning more about the body. And there are many movements and exercises that is back pain friendly too.

I would suggest that you follow the following guidelines when starting class with back pain:

1. Make sure your medical practitioner has cleared you for exercise and that you do not have a dangerous injury.

2. Give your instructor as much information as possible with regards to your medical and movement history. This is best achieved if you start with a private Pilates session.

3. If your pain is acute, don't come to class - rather go back to your medical practitioner (like osteopath or chiropractor) for a treatment and then return to class when they suggest you are ready for exercise.

4. Ask your instructor for 4/5 exercises that you can do every day to help you strengthen.

5. Compliment your weekly Pilates class with other low impact activities like walking. But do discuss these with your teacher in advance to balance out your overall program.

6. Moving to group class is not the goal. The goal is to move better and get stronger without re-injury. That might not happen in a group class for a while as you need to build strength and healthy movement patterns first while your teacher can have more control over the movements you do in class.

There is a big focus on exercise and core strengthening when it comes to recovering from back pain. That is great, but there is also a lot of other things you can do to help your body heal. It is good to keep in mind that your back is part of your whole body and your internal and external environment plays a role in getting better.

Here are some additional notes you can try while recovering from back pain that has nothing to do with core exercises. Try these for 2 weeks and see if you notice a change.