Posts Tagged ‘Pilates Based Physical Therapy’

Knee Injury Treatments

Monday, July 14th, 2008

For initial relief from a knee injury the best approach is what physical therapists and physicians refer to as R.I.C.E. This stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Inflammation will be the first symptom of the injury that will need to be treated. Rest is also a bid factor in knee injury recovery.

Depending on the severity of the injury sometimes crutches may be needed, but trying to use the knee a lot less, especially in rigorous activity, will be of great importance in the healing process.

Physical therapy is also a great pairing in the recovery process with R.I.C.E. Having programs designed to improve the condition, with the focus being on active recovery, greatly benefits those will knee injuries in the long run. When the knee is prompted to engage in safe yet effective exercises it will be able to acclimate to normal activity much faster and with more ease than just rest alone can give. The goal of physical therapy is to reintroduce a person to their previous active lifestyle, without the injury continuing to get worse, or never fully healing.

Pillates-based rehab has also had much success as an added step in the process of healing knee injuries. Because of its gentle approach to healing, Pilates-based rehab allows for the entire body to be active while a patient may still be in recovery.

Muscular imbalances are one of the leading causes of knee injuries, and Pilates aims to retrain the body’s functionality to work as one cohesive unit. This provides an avenue for not only the injury to improve but also drastic improvements will be made in postural habits, quality of movement, mind-body connection, and core strength.

When it comes to specific conditions like Chrondomalcia, physical therapy and Pilates act as viable treatment options as well.

Physicians will often recommend low impact activity, such a cycling, swimming, walking, and Pilates and yoga. Surgery is of course an option, but if a holistic approach is preferred, since may patients wish to forego the invasiveness of a procedure these low-impact exercises will help improve the condition without surgery.

For torn ligaments such as the ACL, PCL, and LCL it is important to strengthen the muscles surrounding the injury. Since rigorous or weight bearing activity is strictly discouraged, it can be somewhat challenging to improve strength surrounding the injury without furthering the damage in the area of concern.

With the exercises and modalities that physical therapy and Pilates based rehab offer, a client can heal the injury and increase the overall health of their body at the same time. While the exercises, poses, and movements in Pilates and physical therapy are challenging to the body and build strength, they avoid the risk that more conventional forms of exercise and training may impose.

There are many causes of knee injuries, but proper alignment, heightened body awareness and core strengthening when balanced with low impact cardio, will result in a lower chance of a knee injury in an individual.

Pilates Based Physical Therapy

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

Pilates-Based Physical Therapy finds its methodology to be in the same family of framework as physical therapy, but different psychological approaches sets them apart. Pilates based physical therapy sees whole-body wellness as the cure to injury as well as the key to functional living, for a better quality of life long after the initial stages of recovery. When the road to healing is paved with the Pilates based physical therapy practices, that path will lead to a life where moving better means feeling better.

Treating a symptom and not the problem will only result in a temporary fix. When maladaptive movements are corrected and analyzed through the lens of Pilates, it creates a whole new spectrum of possibility and adds a depth of scope into everyday living.

The focus of Pilates-based rehab to not only improve the quality of life but also re-educated the body to move in a more energy efficient manner. Self-awareness is heightened by the breathing patterns Pilates integrates into its slow and controlled movements. Much like physical therapy it does incorporate patience and diligence into its objective.

Another unique difference found in Pilates-based physical therapy is that you are generally assured the same technician each time you schedule and appointment. In physical therapy there is no chance of obtaining a “swinging door” practitioner. A relationship between the Pilates-based rehabilitation instructor and its client is of great importance, so that relationship is developed over time with the same instructor. A partnership generates a level of trust, and can be motivation for faster recovery.

When a client begins to involve themselves in new ways of moving, and new ways of walking, sitting and standing, provided by Pilates-based rehab, an awakening will be discovered. Sometimes just the way that we carry ourselves can lead to injury and imbalance, and we are completely unaware of it. Pilates will teach you how to listen to your body and respond accordingly.

Pilates is done on machines that assist the body along in creating more efficient patterns of movement. Each machine is spring-loaded and can be adjusted to fit the comfort zone of each client. With the careful observation and assistance of highly qualified Pilates professional, proper muscle recruitment will be developed keeping your specific needs in mind. Pilates based-rehab blends traditional therapy modalities with innovative Pilates poses to create a much needed mind-body connection technique that begins to heal the body from the outside in.

Understanding that climate of healthcare concerns, where time and money can be tight, Pilates designs its program to be highly effective in a short amount of time. Sequencing stabilization within the body and within the mind of a person suffering from an injury is at the forefront of those who teach Pilates. There are many options out there for rehabilitation, but we encourage you to give Pilates-based physical therapy a try and compare “notes” with former rehabilitation methods.

We believe that you will find Pilates to be a gentle progression from injury to wellness, no matter who you are, how old you are, your physical condition, female or male, Pilates based rehab can change the way you view the process of recovery and live your life beyond it.

Pilates Based Rehabilitation Part 2

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008

Pilates based-rehab is excellent for those that suffer from, but is not limited to post-surgery pain, muscle strain, sciatica, impingements, scoliosis, fibromyalgia, hip or knee replacement surgery, chronic neck and back pain, performance or sports injuries, shoulder girdle pain, hip and knee pain or strain, as well as foot and ankle issues. Pilates has also yielded excellent results for soft-tissue injuries.

In recent years Pilates based rehab has incorporated meditation, Yoga, medicine and Swiss balls into its circuit. Because of this, a wider range of creative movements has been added, making the benefits of Pilates ever more so reaching into meditative responsiveness and mind-body balance. The stretching and lengthening movements that one can achieve, through the series of postures developed in Pilates, rely on the use of pulleys, straps, and arm and leg cuffs. Long and short box accessories can be added to the regime for variety, but the exercises will still remain easy to do and easy on the body.

This layering of endless positions and options give any Pilates based rehabilitation instructor the ability to create a personalized system of appropriate movement for each client. An instructor’s attention to detail coupled with their extensive knowledge of biomechanics should make anyone who suffers from a nagging injury feel optimistic about their recovery.

Pilates is also versatile in “who” it can help. Elite athletes can be training next to the elderly, and body builders can be in the same class as ballerinas. The skill level of an accomplished Pilates participant can be developed from the ground up. When a student is beginning with an injury, the goal of Pilates-based rehab is that over time not only with the injury be corrected but that they will be inducted into the world of regular, healthy individuals.

While the scientific data to support Pilates based rehab is scarce, the claims of its participants cannot go ignored as evidence. There have been motor learning studies compiled in support of the case of Pilates and its achievements. Numerous testimonials and patient reports from doctors can act as proof in and of itself.

The healing proponents of Pilates in the lifestyle of athletes, for example, have been personally noted in their rehab reports. (rehabpub.com) Specifically there have been testimonies claiming that their body awareness has increased, that they feel as if their coordination is more acute, and because of increased flexibility they expect a rapid return to their chosen sport. Brent Anderson, (PT, OCS) has been quoted saying that, “The system is yoga-based with Germanic overtones of fitness; by today’s standards it matches with rehabilitation very well.” From a physical therapist standpoint, Pilates is given the credit where it is due.

The beneficiary results of Pilates are indisputable. It seems that Pilates based rehab is quickly becoming a very common addition to manual rehab. This is because the search has been on for discovering a system in which a rehabilitated individual will not only heal, but also excel in the aftermath of an injury.  rapidrehabla.com/services.html

Pilates Based Rehabilitation Part 1

Monday, June 16th, 2008

Injuries within the body not only plague everyday life with constant pain, but injuries also prevent a person from feeling whole, or completely engaged in society. Our physical health is one of the most important things we have, and yet it is so easily taken for granted. Without proper care, our health can easily be compromised and when that can happen our world can be turned upside down. A healthy body is one of the biggest luxuries that a person can come to have, and it should be treated as such.

However when an injury does occur, it is imperative to begin a healing regime for the body as soon as one is physically able. The only bump in the road, when it comes to rehabilitation, is the seemingly wide chasm between the initial stages of an injury to the implementation of everyday activity. Some people’s injuries dictate the rest of their lives, and the frustration from failed attempts at recovery leave them defeated and disillusioned.

In addition to Physician recommended physical therapy, Pilates based therapy can act as that “off ramp” from recovery to daily living. It constructs a bridge to the world of activity that an injured individual was once a part of.  An explanation of Pilates and its methodology can begin to shed some light on a rather gray area of rehabilitation, “What happens after physical therapy?”

Pilates based rehab can be performed on the Pilates Reformer or on a mat. The Pilates Reformer alleviates tension in the joints and muscles, while lengthening and strengthening the areas in and around the injury. The body operates on the Reformer plane through a series of breathing, stretching and full body strengthening patterns. Repetitions are replaced with concentrated movement. The paces of these patterns are deliberate and controlled.

Pilates exercise progressions include not only injury prevention techniques, but also more importantly injury correction exercises. This allows for front-end and back-end rehabilitation during every stage of recovery. Pilate’s most unique component is that is works the entire body in phases of movement, instead of just one muscle or muscle group at a time.Since Pilates is a low-impact, partial weight bearing exercise it is perfect for toning injured areas.

Pilates assigns the “core” a series of stability challenges, which requires the muscles to be in constant static control. This focus creates joint mobility and flexibility within the framework of the body. When performed correctly and under the supervision of a highly trained individual, a “resetting” of irregular spine alignment, disjointed bones, muscular imbalance and strains can occur.

Injuries stem from muscular imbalances or spinal misalignment. In Pilates based rehab the injured area is considered just an “alarm” from the circuit center for which the injury itself may have assimilated. Correcting posture and re-learning every day movement it the solution Pilates based rehab provides. This is the epitome of “killing one bird with two stones”. Each posture is rooted in gentility and encourages the natural flow of the body’s mechanics. This enables an injured person to ease into recuperation without much pain or unneeded physical effort.  rapidrehabla.com/services.html