More About Pilates For Rehabilitation

If you are in recovery from some kind of illness, injury or even some form of psychological condition, then rehabilitation is incredibly important to ensure that you recover as quickly as possible and to ensure that you avoid further problems.

In many cases people will view rehabilitation as something that is largely passive – it is common to view recovery as the lack of activity – such as sitting down for long periods of time and getting rest. If you have an injury specific to a particular area, then recovery might mean avoiding putting pressure on that area or using it.

This is all fine and well, and of course in many cases you certainly should avoid strenuous exercise or movement if you want to enjoy the speediest recovery possible. However this is at the same time certainly not the only form of recovery, and it is very important to recognize that there are many other ways you can help yourself to recover from injury or illness.

For instance if you are recovering from an injury that is to do with your muscles, bones or joints – then Pilates may well offer you the help you need to recover.

If you should injure your back or your leg for instance, and you aim to recover by simply resting your body and taking time out of your usual activities, then you may find that this doesn't help you to combat all of the potential problems. The worry here is that you will still exacerbate the issue by letting your muscles waste away. If you spend a lot time in recovery and don't get any kind of exercise during this time, then it will of course cause your muscles to deteriorate and that in turn will cause you to lose muscle mass and strength. Then, when you are recovered, you will find that you are unable to move properly and this can actually lead to further injury. Furthermore a muscle imbalance can cause unequal pressure to be exerted on the joints which can also cause injury and discomfort.

At the same time if you injure any joint or muscle then you will risk overcompensating for this by altering your stance or your gait. For instance if you injure a leg or an ankle, then this can cause you to limp and to stand somewhat lop sided. This in turn can lead not only to joint and muscle problems directly, but also potentially again make you more prone to falling and injuring yourself further.

As anyone who has ever been to a chiropractor or a osteopath will know – what affects one part of the body can have effects elsewhere in regions that are seemingly unconnected if you end up walking incorrectly or standing awkwardly.

Pilates can prevent all these problems by ensuring that while you recover from your injury you still get some forms of light exercise to maintain muscle tone and balance. At the same time it can help to encourage a correct stance and gait and thereby avoid doing harm to yourself accidentally.

There is a big difference between pilates classes, and one on one sessions. For rehabilitation or for more comfortable aging, this is usually called physiotherapy pilates.