Pilates, a mind-body exercise, was developed by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates in the early 1920s, focused specifically on control when undertaking a movement or exercise. Sport Australia recently found from the age of 15, there are over 584,500 people participating in Pilates every year in Australia. It is very difficult to find a physiotherapist in Australia that does not use Pilates in some form as part of their treatment and management.
The popularity of Pilates has seem to gain momentum over the last decade, however this was curtailed in 2015 when the Australian Government’s Department of Health conducted a study looking into 17 alternative therapies, to see if they were eligible for a private health rebate. Science-Based Medicine, who conducted the study, concluded that the effectiveness of Pilates is uncertain. As a result, in 2017 the Australian Government stated that Pilates would be no longer eligible to receive a private health rebate.
In the peer-reviewed Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, it stated “for the treatment of lower back pain, low quality evidence suggests that while Pilates is better than doing nothing, it is no more effective than other forms of physical exercise”.
The take away message from this is although Pilates can be used for helping with lower back pain, evidence indicates that other forms of exercise may be just as effective in reducing pain. Activity is the key! Therefore, find an exercise that speaks to you, whether it is weight lifting, swimming, Tai Chi or an exercise class and you’ll be well on your way to helping manage your pain.
A physiotherapist can assist you with finding you exercise with the following:
To see how evidence-based physiotherapy can assist and to find the right type of exercise for you, phone (08) 9203 7771 or make an appointment with Robert and Jeff today.
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