Back Care Programme
Today's society is plagued by postural imbalances. So much so that statistics show that over 80% of us will experience lower back pain at least once during the course of our lives, with many of us suffering repeat episodes on a regular basis. It's never been a better time to be an osteopath, physiotherapist, chiropractor or massage therapist!
Unfortunately, even qualified and well-intentioned health care professionals will very rarely be in a position to afford much more than pain relief in the short term, as they deal primarily with the effects of postural distortion: pain, range of motion limitations etc. Simply put, the one or two visits per week with your therapist do not effectively counter the postural effects of 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This is not an attack on the complimentary health fraternity. They have a success rate so far in advance of traditional medicine that the two do not even compare! The point being made here is that in most cases of lower back pain and joint dysfunction the cause is postural and can only be corrected by the individual changing the affected posture.
It's time to focus on cause rather than effect.
Joseph Pilates was ahead of his time in offering postural enhancement as a preventative and curative measure for many modern day ills. Excessive time spent in seated postures at work, the car, the bus and in front of the TV are the main culprits here but aren't the only problem areas. Surprisingly, the much-hailed 'magic pill' of exercise shares a lot of the blame too!
Poorly designed exercise programmes have been shown to increase postural stress, alter length-tension relationships between opposing muscle groups and create pattern overload including repetitive strain injury, tendonitis and bursitis. Not to mention the fact that you'll probably spend half of your time at the gym sitting down!
The subject of posture and its relationship to human performance should be the primary concern of all exercise professionals who are serious about helping their clients to achieve their goals. At Equilibrium Health our goal is to increase strength, endurance and flexibility based on the foundations of correct posture.
If you try to build on poor foundations don't be surprised if your building crumbles!
Pilates provides a whole body movement technique, correcting old habits and realigning to optimum posture. A full Postural Analysis and further range of movement, balance and core function tests will be the basis of your Pilates training and carried out before you start exercising. Records are then kept to show improvement which will reinforce the benefits you are feeling on a day to day basis.
For optimum results we recommend 3 sessions a week for 6 weeks, however home programmes can be a useful assistance if time or budget is an issue.
Stand alone Postural Analysis Sessions are available. After your analysis advice and simple exercises will be given for you to practice on a day to day basis. See Fees page for more information.
"Following many years of suffering disc problems in my lower back my osteopath suggested that I may find that Pilates could help in strengthening the muscles that support the spine and therefore provide a greater degree of protection against future occurrences. I therefore started Pilates with Claire Wray about 3 years ago and have now progressed to intermediate/advanced level. From the onset I found that Claire's sessions were very well structured, starting at beginners' level and progressing upwards as I was able to do more and more. There was also a calm and logical approach to each series of exercises .Three years on and whilst Pilates will never cure my back problems the improvement in my core muscle strength is such that I can now do much more of the activities that in the past would have laid me up for days or weeks on end. Not only has Pilates help my back problems I have also found it to be good fun and a perfect way to relax after a stressful day at work."
Philip Hartley,Leeds