Pilates Workout Will Help Relieve Chronic Pain

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What is a Pilates Workout?

No, it is not a Greek philosopher, but it is a prevalent workout regime that enhances core strength without substantial impact or punishing cardio routines. Pilates workout is a very relaxing and slow-moving discipline designed to optimize the core muscles of the body (abdomen, obliques, and back) to strengthen your body’s ability to perform basic tasks with minimal stress.

In short, Pilates is perfect for chronic pain sufferers, increasing and utilizing muscle strength by performing low impact floor-based exercises that can easily be adapted to suit your goals at your level of ability. So many variations of Pilates exercise make for a diverse and enjoyable way of managing or reducing pain.

Helps Improve Core Strength

Increasing core strength sounds like boot camp, but it is far from it. Your core is not just your abs, so don’t think of Pilates as a regular ab workout. As mentioned before, your core also includes your back muscles, something most people complain about, especially as you age. However, a 2015 study found that this discipline aids in reducing back pain because of its impact on correcting alignment. When your back is misaligned (one side does more work than the other), it causes your less-used side to over-compensate. Like a vicious circle, this puts even more tension on the original muscle group. Therefore, people who suffer from chronic back pain will benefit from Pilates.

A word of warning, though. Pilates, much like martial arts, should be done under the supervision of an expert trainer, otherwise performing exercises inaccurately could injure your back or other muscle groups.

Aids in the Fight Against Chronic Pain

Pilates is a technique that is frequently used physiotherapists to treat a variety of chronic pains. By definition, chronic pain is the term used to describe prolonged, painful episodes (usually defined as three months or more.) This condition occurs when constant pain signals are sent to the brain, causing the brain’s pain receptors to become over-sensitized to that particular region of the body. Along with the correct medication and supervision, people who suffer from chronic pain find Pilates highly beneficial to treating the pain.

The following chronic pain conditions could be relieved by practicing Pilates:

  • Whiplash
  • Arthritis
  • Post-surgery
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Hip pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Chronic back pain
  • Postural pain

Benefits of a Pilates Workout

Many health care professionals advise patients to supplement their medical treatment with a regular session of Pilates. These Pilates workouts will boost the body’s natural mobility to move better, loosen up joints, and improve balance.

The benefits of Pilates means that you will learn to gain control over your pain, reducing, or even eliminating it, depending on the consistency of exercise. Not only will it soothe the brunt of everyday discomfort, but Pilates is instrumental in improving your posture. Any physiotherapist will attest to the direct correlation between a good posture and a decline in pain caused by misalignment. This connection will no doubt bring about normalized movement, allowing you more flexibility to complete basic chores that seemed impossible before.

A great benefit that comes from feeling better, fitter, and stronger is the boost in confidence, knowing that you can function better and achieve a better level of independence. Once people with chronic pain train in Pilates, many observe the improvement in mobility as a counter-measure for sustaining injuries too easily. After all, a conditioned joint surrounded by a stronger muscle is not likely to incur injuries.

Eases Pain

Patients with Fibromyalgia often use Pilates. Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a medically recognized chronic pain illness that is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, soft tissue tenderness, pain and stiffness, general fatigue, and sleep disturbances. It more commonly affects women at a ratio of 9:1, between the ages of 25 and 50 years old, but both men and women suffer from FMS in general.

Because of the nature of FMS, Pilates offers a few solutions to alleviate the chronic pain of the condition.

When attending a basic session in Pilates, patients should benefit from another aspect of the discipline – breathing. Breathing oxygenates blood and promotes circulation to all regions of the body. Any trainer or medical professional will confirm that correct breathing is pivotal to muscle relaxation and management of pain. When Pilates relaxes your muscles, it also averts unnecessary muscular tension that might lead to injuries. In sufferers of FMS, Pilates emphasizes reconnecting the body and mind. Most sufferers tend to disconnect to tolerate the pain.

Participating in an exercise program that does not aggravate symptoms is hugely beneficial to chronic pain sufferers and instills a feeling of safety and welfare. From a musculoskeletal standpoint, it also promotes improvement in articular mobility of the spine in a moderate, supported environment. There is also no competition to keep up with. Pilates offers a situation in which a participant can take their time and hone their abilities at their own pace without suffering injury or feeling inadequate.

Allows for Better Sleep

While chronic pain seems to inhibit peaceful sleep or interrupt the little amount of sleep attainable, regular Pilates improves the release of hormones such as serotonin (well-being) and melatonin (sleep hormone). Regular exercise, especially with Pilates’ low impact and connection to the mind, actively enhances the brain’s natural release of melatonin. This release will improve sleep quality, battling the fatigue of sleepless nights in sufferers of chronic pain conditions.

Enhances Motor Skills

Most of the exercises employed by Pilates utilizes coordination to complete a variety of movements with controlled maintenance. This coordination of activity boosts the brain to muscle coordination. Which makes Pilates a very effective method in which to improve gross motor skills, for instance, in people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

Decreased Inflammation

In people who have arthritis and its related conditions, Pilates allows for the development of better joint mobility and reduces inflammatory indication. The range of motion has been reported to increase in joint-related Pilates exercises, while the pain caused by stiffness is automatically alleviated.

Improves Rehabilitation Results

For chronic pain caused by post-operative conditions, Pilates does wonders in the rehabilitation of injuries and recovery from operations. Its gentle methodology offers a concise and potent recuperation paradigm for anyone healing from surgery.

Final Words

In a nutshell, Pilates if an all-encompassing discipline that is beneficial to all kinds of chronic pain sufferers. It concentrates on every aspect of the human body, from the neuromuscular to basic spine alignment and core strength.

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  • Whiplash
  • Arthritis
  • Post-surgery
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Hip pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Chronic back pain
  • Postural pain

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