Anyone who suffers from back pain is always on the hunt for the thing or things that will relieve their pain. The number of pain relievers and gadgets that are available to combat all forms of back pain seems endless.

And what may work for one person, doesn’t necessarily work for another.  Which makes sense, after all, the cause of your back pain will be different than the cause of my back pain.

In this article, we’re going to discuss if Pilates is good for your back and more specifically, your back pain.

The answer to that question varies from person to person (depending on the cause of your pain) but overall, for general back pain due to weak muscles, Pilates is an excellent treatment method.

Here, at ABove Physical Therapy we do stress to all our patients that most exercises that can strengthen your core and back muscles will be helpful to relieve your back pain, but to initiate these exercises you should first get a doctor’s consultation to clear you to participate in exercises.

The advantage of Pilates instruction at ABove Physical Therapy is that here, the Pilates instructor has the support of any of our Physical Therapists which will help them to tailor the exercises to the patient’s capabilities.

Pilates is a form of exercise that not only improves muscular strength, endurance, flexibility,and balance but is also a main proponent of teaching correct alignment of your muscles.  We believe that the Pilates exercises are very beneficial for overall wellness – for both adults and children.

We have helped many of our patients get relief from their back pain with Pilates exercises. Some patients require other treatment methods in addition to Pilates and yet with others, the exercises performed in their Pilates sessions have been enough to give them the relief they have been seeking.

For me – my very first Pilates class with Imari was wonderful.  The movements she put me through on the Pilates Reformer machine not only opened my tight muscles but opened me mentally as well.  I don’t know how else to describe it!  I was very impressed. – EC Kane

Is Pilates Good For A Bulging Disc?

Again, with any form of exercise for back pain, we recommend that you consult with your physician first before starting any exercise program.  You also want to make sure that your Pilates instructor is properly certified and understands how to safely work with patients who have back problems.

We are so grateful to have two amazing certified Pilates instructors who are certified in Power Pilates, Peak Pilates, Romana’s Pilates and Basi Pilates

If your back pain is due to a bulging disc or discs, the Pilates exercises may help to relieve some of your symptoms.

Bulging discs are normally caused by normal wear and tear due to aging.  Exercises to strengthen the muscles in the back can help to alleviate some of the pain that may come from your bulging disc.

Is Pilates Good For A Herniated Disc?

If your back pain is due to herniated disc(s) the gentle movements and stretches provided by Pilates may work very well for you.

Because Pilates is a form of exercise that centers around re-educating proper alignment while strengthening synergistic muscles, it is generally a safe and effective method for treating a client with a lumbar disc herniation.

Which Is Better For Back Pain – Yoga Or Pilates?

In general, Pilates offers a larger variety of exercises (with and without resistance).  These exercises can be altered in many ways to meet your specific needs and restrictions.

Yoga does not have as many alternative movements.

An example is that someone who uses a walker can still participate in some of the same Pilates exercises that an athlete would perform whereas with Yoga, they are often restricted to chair yoga.

The founder of Pilates based may of his exercises on the movements in Yoga – hence you will notice many similarities. One main difference is that Pilates introduces exercise machines that can be used to provide increased resistance to help build the core muscles of your body.

Both Yoga and Pilates offer great benefits to individuals who suffer from back pain and you will find groups of people who will swear that Yoga was their saviour and another group who will do the same about Pilates.

We encourage you to try both because the truth is, that one or the other or a combination of both may work for you.

We are here to help you find the best solution possible for your back pain.