Does Pilates Cause Or Treat Back Pain?

Photo: State Archives of Florida

Yes, Pilates can cause back pain. And yes, it can treat back pain.

Pilates and Core Strengthening

Pilates has many great benefits, including core strengthening. Core strengthening is beneficial, as it incorporates deep muscles of the abdominals and back that often are weak, especially among individuals with back pain. Having a strong core is one piece of preventing back pain, but other components include postures, body mechanics and proper treatment of present back pain.

Pilates vs. Physical Therapy

Pilates and core strengthening alone will likely not eliminate present back pain. It may play a role in preventing future episodes of back pain, but alone it is not the solution to low back or mid-back pain. If Pilates could treat back pain, I would not have a job as a Physical Therapist. Clearly, there is more to your back pain than weak core muscles, so proper treatment/prevention is urgent. If your back pain comes and goes, get it treated now, and you can learn why it happens and how to decrease the pain and prevent future episodes.  

Pilates Exercises to Avoid

There are some Pilates exercises that can actually produce or aggravate back problems, and these should generally be avoided. Any Pilates exercise that puts your back into a forward-bent (AKA flexed or rounded) position is not ideal for most individuals and can be harmful if you have back problems. Which forward-bending exercises are safe? Cat/camel (on your hands and knees and you arch your back up and down) and abdominal crunches are fairly safe for most people. 

Preferred Pilates Exercises

The Pilates exercises that bend your spine backwards (AKA extended, as in the photo above) are safe and highly recommended for most healthy people. This includes positions such as lying face-down and pressing up onto your hands or lying on your back and lifting your hips. Likely there are many extension exercises incorporated into your Pilates class, so these are generally beneficial and less likely to be harmful.

If either direction of spine movement aggravates your back pain, stop Pilates workouts, and get medical attention.

Why You Should Get Physical Therapy For Your Back Pain

I recently treated a patient with leg pain that radiates from his back. It goes into his thighs and even down below his knees. This pain began 3-4 months ago, and he is unsure how it started. Before his session, I knew his walking had been problematic because when he stood up in the lobby, he significantly stooped over and could barely get his balance. He was using furniture and walls to hold onto. So my initial goal was to find an exercise that would immediately improve his ability to stand up and walk. 

I treated him for 10 minutes with one or two exercises lying on the mat. Then he stood up tall and walked easily back to his chair. He could not believe he was walking that well because since his symptoms began, he has the most pain and difficulty with initially getting out of a chair to walk.

So if you have back pain, you could possibly be only a few minutes away from pain relief. Schedule your Physical Therapy today!