Pilates for Low-Back Pain
By Moira Merrithew.
Eighty percent of Americans experience back pain at one time or another. Often, people are told to strengthen their abdominal muscles to fix a back problem. However, traditional crunches usually strengthen only the outer layers of the abdominal musculature, specifically the rectus abdominis, while bypassing the deep support structures. This can place the lumbar spine in too much flexion and may even exacerbate back pain, depending on what original physical problem was. If the deeper stabilizers of the lumbar spine - the transversus abdominis and multifidus - are not properly trained, they cannot alleviate the pain or stabilize the spine.
Current reseach suggests it is important to facilitate stability of the lumbar spine by strengthening these deep stabilizers. It is also important to restore the neutral alignment of the joints that make up lumbopelvic region. Pain occurs when muscles become imbalanced or dysfunctional, thereby losing their effectiveness as stabilizers. When this occurs, the core muscles cannot support the vertebrae in the spine during everyday movements. Ohter, more superficial muscles, like the rectur abdominis and external obliques, must take over and try to do their work. Since these large muscles cannot stabilize the small, independent joints of the spine, this often results in compressive forces on the intervetebral disks.
Pilates, with its focus on body awareness and proper alignment, can be beneficial for people recovering from low-back injuries of experiencing low-back pain. For Pilates practitioners, instructors and clients, the method has become an invaluable aid in preventing and managin low-back issues.
In his time, many considered Joseph Pilates a master of rehabilitation. His method temporarily became known as an elite form of exercise for the rich, famous or highly skilled, but the medical and rehabilitation communities have now embraced it. Pilates is a gentle, restorative exercise regime that suits most people in the process of recovering from injury and rebuilding their bodies. The foundational approach focused on core strength, precision and control of movement. Combined with current exercise science, this approach is a recipe for success, for a number of reasons.