Low back pain is a common disorder seen in clinical practice and is a serious problem. Nearly 75-85% of people have experienced low back pain, which has great economic and social costs. Depending on the duration of the syndrome, low back pain is chronic or acute.
The European guidelines for physiotherapy further divide low back pain into 3 types according to its mechanism as follows: specific spinal pathology, nerve root pain/radicular pain and non-specific low back painwith chronic nonspecific low back pain being the most common.
Definitions of chronic low back pain include duration of pain in the posterior lumbar region for more than 12 weeks or duration of back pain for more than 7 to 12 weeks. The prevalence and high relapse rates of this pain are often disabling and severely affect quality of life.
In recent years, Pilates has been applied to patients with chronic low back pain. Created by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s, Pilates combines Western yoga, Greek and Roman gymnastics, karate, and Zen, among others, and has become a series of physical and mental conditioning exercises.
Some reviews have shown that, compared to a placebo or normal daily activities, Pilates relieves pain. However, in several other reviews, Pilates showed no significant difference compared to any other form of exercise. Despite this, it may be due, above all, to how each Pilates class is oriented. and it will depend above all on the monitor and how capable he is of individualizing each person. The same goes for other physical activities.
This is how Pilates helps relieve back pain
respiratory control
Breathing is an important part of exercises like Pilates or yoga. Often, we tend to change the way we breathe, which causes a malfunction of the diaphragm, a muscle that can be trained like the biceps.
Most people have a thoracic rather than abdominal breathing pattern, which means that when you inhale, your rib cage moves more than your abdomen. With Pilates we focus on breathing, doing the opposite, filling the abdomen with air.
Improved lumbopelvic control
The spine is connected to the pelvis, so we can easily move one when we should be moving the other. In Pilates you learn to improve your posture and move your hips, keeping your spine in a neutral position at all times.
The most common example of poor postural hygiene in this sense is bending over when we want to pick up something on the ground. To do this, the hips must act as a hinge, bringing the buttocks back while our back is always straight. It is the hips and pelvis that move, not the spine. Pilates is supposed to teach us that separating the spine and hips prevents and improves back pain.
Core strengthening
Lack of strength and stability in the abdominal area is associated with lower back pain. With Pilates we have a direct impact on improving the stability and strength of the internal, external and deep muscles (mutifidius, transversus abdominis, internal oblique, etc.). Since there is a relationship between the muscles and low back pain, by improving their function we either prevent the onset of pain or improve it if it is already present.
Seven postures to take care of our back
glute-bridge
To perform this exercise you have to lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, with your legs apart. Then you have to place your arms at your sides with palms down, relaxing the neck, shoulders and lower back.
Inhale to prepare, exhale to stabilize the center of gravity and Slowly extend the pelvis and spine. Then inhale, exhale, and flex your hips again until you’re back in the starting position.
Monoarticular hip flexion
This exercise can be done without the miniband. To do it, raise one leg with the spine in a neutral position. It is a great exercise for patients who lack pelvic stability.
You have to lift one foot in the sagittal plane while the other is on the ground. This places a functional challenge on the body, similar to walking. The exercise works the abdominal muscles and the hip flexors.
Lying spinal twist with bent knees
To perform this exercise, Lie on your back with your knees and hips at a 90 degree angle. Next, keep your arms in a T-position with your palms facing up. Make sure your lumbar spine is pressing against the ground.
Exhale and pull your abdominal wall inward and tilt your pelvis slightly backwards. Gently bring your inner thighs together. Now inhale, twist your spine and move your pelvis, lowering your legs to the side. Exhale and return to center.
side bend
Side bends are great for strengthening your shoulders, back, and abdominal muscles. Nevertheless, this is a fairly advanced exercise because only one foot and arm support the rest of the body. This exercise works your obliques, quads, glutes, and shoulder girdle.
dead bug
The Dead Bug can have various levels of complexity. We recommend starting to do it in the following way: lie on your back with your knees bent but with the soles of your feet on the ground and with your arms fully stretched. Next, we flex our shoulders backwards without having to move, having to exert great force with our back and core so as not to lose position.
roll-down
The rolling down is an excellent warm-up and cool-down exercise. It challenges the postural muscles, increasing awareness (perception of body movement) and training the motor system.
Also, rolling allows you to focus mentally and get an idea of how to activate your core muscles. The rolling has similar characteristics to the popular gymnastics exercise known as the Roman Extension. By adding rolling as a warm-upthe person may feel that they are using their entire spine andReduce stress on the lower back.
Pilates swimmer
To perform this exercise, you must lie on your stomach, with your arms straight, your head and neck off the ground. At the same time, you should raise the opposite leg and arm, wait a moment and return to the starting position.
Every time you bend or arch your back, activate the multifidusa series of small muscles that connect to the spine and stabilize the vertebrae. It’s important to keep them strong and toned, and research shows that Pilates is an effective way to do this.
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Pictures | iStock, Pilates Anytime
Videos | ScottHermanFitness, Personal Running, Carlos Casado Coach, Pilates Time – приложение для занятий Пилатесом, intosport, Pilates Anytime