The Power of Pilates with Our Women's Health Physio

While you've journeyed through the beautiful experience of motherhood, some aspects of your body may still yearn for recovery and strength. Pilates, in collaboration with our women's health physio, can be your trusted ally on this path. Here are 3 key benefits:

1. Targeted Recovery for Previous Pregnancies and Births

Your body undergoes remarkable transformations, but it's not uncommon for certain areas to need additional attention, even years after giving birth. Our women's health physiotherapist, in conjunction with Pilates, offers targeted recovery for these specific concerns:

• Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation: Pregnancy and childbirth can strain the pelvic floor muscles. Firstly, understanding what needs to be strengthened (with a pelvic assessment) along with Pilates exercises can help you regain strength and function in this essential area.

• Effective and Efficient Use of Your Core: Often the way you're using your core muscles may not be efficient or effective to facilitate the things you're doing in life. So it's about re-connecting you to your core and moving more efficiently and effectively.

• Postural Alignment: The changes in posture during pregnancy, with breastfeeding and with carrying your child can persist long after childbirth. This can lead to overstraining specific areas and neglecting others to do the things that need to be done in motherhood. The goal would be to regain some strength in the neglected areas.

2. Building Confidence in Body Movement

After giving birth, it's common to feel a bit disconnected from your body. Pilates, under the guidance of our women's health physio, is an effective tool for rebuilding that connection and enhancing your confidence in movement:

• Mind-Body Connection: Pilates emphasizes mindful movement, enabling you to regain control and awareness of your body.

• Progressive and Safe: Our women's health physiotherapist ensures that every Pilates session is tailored to your unique needs and abilities, offering a safe and progressive approach to exercise.

• Improved Functional Fitness: As you grow in confidence, you'll discover newfound strength and ease in daily activities, from lifting your little ones to pursuing your fitness passions.

3. Strengthening and Enhancing Mobility

If you're constantly on the move, feeling strong and mobile is essential. Pilates with our women's health physiotherapist can help you achieve these goals:

• Muscular Strength: Pilates is renowned for its ability to strengthen various muscle groups, enhancing your overall physical strength.

• Flexibility and Mobility: Pilates exercises promote flexibility, joint mobility, and a full range of motion, allowing you to move with greater ease.

• Energy and Vitality: As you strengthen and mobilize your body, you'll experience a boost in energy levels, enhancing your ability to keep up with your family's active lifestyle.

Empower Your Journey

Pilates, combined with the expertise of our women's health physiotherapist, is a powerful partnership that can help you reclaim your body's strength, build confidence, and enhance mobility.

If you're ready to embark on this empowering path, don't hesitate to reach out to our clinic.

Have Kids Ruined Your Core?

If Your Back Constantly Aches, Your Hips Feel Rotated And You’re Embarrassed To Run

You Need To Check For Separation

If after having children you struggle to control your bladder when you run, worry about sneezing and refuse to skip because it’s just embarrassing then you need to have your separation assessed.

Even if your kids are nearly 10 years old!

This is what I found with one of my recent patients in Bondi. But it’s not why she came in…

She wanted help figuring out why her back pain just wouldn’t go away. There was nothing severe about it, just a constant tightness.

She brought the recent xrays her normal chiro made her get…the spine was in great condition. Way better than mine. There was

           no scoliosis

                  no obvious degeneration

                           no glaring bone deformity

It was fairly straight and uncomplicated. So why the constant back pain?

At 43 years old, she was just sick of waking up in the morning her feeling like an old woman.

Before coming to Balance she was seeing her every month, sometimes more. They believed the pain was a result of her ‘twisted pelvis’. Getting it adjusted helped but it always seems to come back.

To me…the twist seemed more like a compensation pattern than the root of the problem.

As we were discussing how her body moves and feels in general I discovered she still pees a little when running or sneezing unexpectedly. To me this is a massive hint she has a core issue. Immediately my focus went to assessing it.

She had what we call a diastasis rectus abdominus. Abdominal separation. It was around about 2cm and has probably been there since giving birth 9 years ago.

In her case the separation was actually 3/4 more on the right side compared to the left. This same side also tested weaker through the internal oblique (one of your inner core stabilisers). No surprise she also feels the back pain more on the right!

Her body has been forced to work around this issue for 9 years. Walking, running, in the gym and  with everyday activities her body has found a way to compensate for this core issue.

You know how she compensates – rotating the pelvis!

Until she addresses the core imbalance treating the hip will only ever be a temporary solution. You may be thinking…

Why did the Obstetrician and the midwife nurses not say anything about the separation in the abdomen?

She was definitely surprised they didn’t!

Whilst I could argue they should have mentioned it, honestly it is not life threatening and not that bad.

However… If these things aren’t addressed soon after giving birth, then they carry on. They become a problem years later. At the end of the first appointment we had our diagnosis, she understood what the actual problem was. Not a twisted pelvis but asymmetrical abdominal separation.

We also had a specific plan of attack…

1. Treat the back pain and hip rotation for some temporary relief

2. Specific corrective exercises to

   • address the separation and

   • strengthen the weak internal oblique

We followed this approach for two weeks. Each time reassessing and making sure we were following the right path. It was improving steadily which is always a good sign.

A month later she booked in for a review. She was so excited to tell me it hadn’t felt this good in such a long time. I reassessed everything, the back and pelvis, the separation, the core. The difference was significant.

The best news… There was no reason I needed to see her again.

This is just one of the cases I’ve seen recently where problems have developed in women who haven’t addressed common post natal issues. Whether it’s pelvic floor dysfunction, abdominal separation or asymmetries in the core…you really need to get it checked.

A few simple but targeted exercises with a little specific treatment can prevent niggles like ongoing back pain from ever becoming a problem.

If you have kids and know you don’t have full control your bladder let one of our physios assess your separation and core control. The longer you wait the harder it can be to reverse the compensation. Just call the clinic on 9899 5512 and ask for one of the physio’s who specialise in post natal care.

Pregnancy, Gymnastics and Weightlifting....Why Pilates?

The simple answer…

‘Pilates helps you make the most of what your body can offer’

I am definitely biased, but teaching Pilates has changed the way I assess and treat as a Chiropractor!

Just yesterday in the studio I was helping a lady in her 2nd trimester with pelvic pain, a junior elite rhythmic gymnast work on her turns and competitive weight lifter strengthen his core.

Interesting combination right…

So,

What Exactly is Pilates and Who’s It For?

Developed in the early 20th Century by Joseph Pilates, or Uncle Joe I like to call him, Pilates is a movement system where the focus is to strengthen, stretch and stabilise key muscles.

Originally it was a means for the rehabilitation of soldiers. Years later, after being refined through work with New York Ballet it is used by people of all walks of life to

• Deal with pain like supporting a growing belly during pregnancy

• Improve movement control like the turns required by a rhythmic gymnast, or

• Strengthen the core to assist in transferring force from your legs move a heavy barbell overhead

For me..

It’s the missing link between treatment, traditional exercise rehab and return to sport (or life)…

Now I am sure most of you have heard the connection between Pilates and your core.

It’s the key!

Your ability to become aware of and control movement from the centre out is critical for:

• improved performance

• injury prevention

• rehabilitation

This ‘core control’ is the central philosophy for all Pilates based exercises. Your ability to move effectively and efficiently transfers directly to recover and performance.

So you might be asking yourself,

What Exactly Constitutes Your Core?

I think it is essential that we all understand what the core actually involves.

I won’t go into too much detail but let’s start with the basics.

The core is like a barrel:

• The top is the diaphragm (or breathing muscle) and is located under you lower ribs.

• The bottom is your pelvic floor and is like a hammock or trampoline at the bottom of your pelvis. Most people think the pelvic floor is only important in women who want to or have had kids. Noooope! It is super important for everyone (including you, boys!)

• The front is a muscle called your transverse abdominals or TVA for short.

• The back consists of muscles called your multifidus

• Side consists of internal abdominal obliques or IAO

Your core muscles work together to create a strong powerhouse in the centre of your body.

If our core works well, it helps to control the rest of our body.

There are so many stories I could tell you about patients who have directly benefited from Pilates…

• The Mum who told me she has no pain in her back for the first time in 5 years

• The CrossFit athlete who hit a PR after learning how to utilise their core

• The runner who runs without lower back pain

Awareness of and ability to control your core ‘barrel’ play a critical role in your ability to recover and perform.

Pilates just happens to be a form of exercise perfect for teaching these skills.

Whilst it can be frustrating at times learning new ways to move – no growth or improvement comes without some type of struggle.

If you remember the case of my patient in her 2nd trimester…

She had been seeing me throughout her pregnancy for lower back and pelvic pain. This was her first pregnancy and by this point she was struggling to bend over and sleep due to the pain in her back.

A lot of her pain was due to the fact her pelvis was stretching to allow the growth of her baby. A completely normal part of pregnancy!

But for her…

It was causing constant discomfort.
She was struggling to sit and stand, drive and sleep.

Along with manual treatment to manage her pain, we implemented a gentle Pilates program to help her strengthen her core to help support her constantly changing body. Despite getting frustrated at times, these simple exercises worked perfectly to stabilise her expanding pelvis.

The combination of treatment and Pilates worked perfectly to reduce her pain levels as well as move more freely (without fear of injuring her lower back).

Clinical Pilates at Balance

Using specially designed equipment in the reformer, trap table and wunda chair we keep classes to a max of 3 so the program is always individualised and specific to your goals.

If you know there are issues with your core strength and movement control Pilates is the missing link.

There’s a reason I see most of our practitioners at Balance and there families for Pilates!

See the difference it will make for yourself.

For all Pilates appointments please call the clinic. If you have a friend you know would also benefit, get them to come along with you…