Pilates is a great form of exercise that you can participate in to stay fit and healthy. You could take part in a Pilates class for 1 of 2 reasons:
- You want to use Pilates as an exercise system to stay fit and healthy because you don’t like the gym or high impact exercise.
- You have low back pain and you want to use Pilates to strengthen your core muscles and help ease your pain.
If you are looking to use Pilates as an exercise system and you are otherwise fit and healthy then go ahead and book a 1:1 session or a class, there is no reason why you shouldn’t do Pilates.
If you have low back pain then there are some reasons why Pilates is not right for you right now.
First of all we need to rule out what we call Red Flags – things that might suggest there is another reason for your low back pain.
If you experience the following pop along to see your GP as Pilates will not help at all with your low back pain:
- Constant, unremitting night pain. Now this doesn’t mean the odd night here or there where you have a bit of pain. We are looking to see if you are having pain constantly through the night, disrupting sleep and keeping you awake every night – pain centred in your tummy or chest.
- Night fevers and night sweats – as above not just the odd episode – constant and re-current fevers. Now if you are going through the menopause you may have some night sweats but this doesn’t count as night sweats and fevers that we are worried about.
- Rapid and un-explained weight loss. This would be something like a few kilos in the course of a month or so without out any planned dieting.
- Any changes in co-ordination and balance that are again fairly constant and worsening.
If you experience any changes in bowel or bladder habits with low back pain such as an inability to pass urine and any incontinence of faeces then you should go to A and E immediately. The same is true for any loss of sensation or pins and needles in and around the genitals and back passage.
Pilates will not help if you have a severe episode of acute low back pain with or with out pain and pins and needles and numbness down the leg. This type of pain is not an emergency and you should first see a physio to get treatment and acupuncture to bring the pain under control. Once you pain levels are under control and the pins and needles has ceased Pilates for low back should be started.