By: Special Advertising Section June 20, 2018
Q: My back always hurts, and pain medication only helps temporarily. Can physical therapy help fix my back?
A: Increasing numbers of patients suffer from chronic pain lasting weeks or months, which can be debilitating. The Pilates Fitness & Physical Therapy Center successfully treats many patients with chronic pain. The difference? A Pilates-based physical therapy program.
Why use Pilates for chronic pain? Pilates helps to strengthen core-stabilizing muscles, and patients benefit from addressing muscle imbalances and postural asymmetries — thus decreasing wear and tear on the joints. Owner and physical therapist Ron Jegadeesh says: “Starting with the first visit, I evaluate postural alignment and teach proper breathing techniques. Then the patient progresses to gentle exercises to encourage pelvic and spine stabilization. Most patients notice a difference after the first few sessions.”
Pilates can be specifically tailored to meet the needs of a patient with movement restrictions and varying pain levels. A Pilates Fitness & Physical Therapy Center trainer will design a program to strengthen the deep core muscles, optimizing pelvic and shoulder stabilization, and will use gentle stretching to lengthen tight muscles. Patients feel taller and stronger, and their pain levels dramatically decrease.