Due to our busy lifestyle and most jobs being desk bound, there has been increasing number of people suffering from chronic neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain. These people usually have acquired bad postures in their daily activities without them knowing it. They have read about the wonderful effects of pilates in pain relief and many wanted to use pilates to relieve their chronic pain. However, what they did not realise was that, if you are suffering from chronic pain, the first few sessions of pilates rehabilitation had nothing to do with Pilates as yet!
Usually for clients who are suffering from chronic pain, there will be lumps of scar tissues in the pain areas. Fascia and trigger point release will be employed in the first few sessions to release these scar tissues. It is a technique that coupled with certain specific Pilates routines can bring instant relief to the spot and restore mobility to the joints. Clients with chronic pain usually have very tight knots in the neck which stretching alone cannot do the job. Even though stretching is very beneficial and cannot be neglected, it does not work in the case of stubborn muscle knots. When stretching a muscle with knots, you are only stretching the healthy muscle tissue. The knot remains a knot, laughing in the face of the stretch.
The best way to attack a tight muscle knot is direct pressure. When the taut knots and painful spots are successfully released, the spot will be sore for a day at most but instant relief can be felt in some area like tingling sensations down the arm to fingers as circulation is restored when the tight knots are loosen. Other times, there is instant release up the side of the neck all the way up the scalp of the hair. Fascia and trigger point release is akin to lubricating a rusty machine before movement (Pilates) is introduced. And because most injury started due to improper form, the right body mechanics specific to the joint and muscles must be introduced and properly taught.
Take a quick look around the people at the subways, hurrying to work and sitting in the office. You will realize most if not all, have rounded shoulders, are much hunched over, chin is lifted, neck tilted backwards and shoulders tensed. This is the perfect recipe that spells disaster - that of chronic neck and shoulder pain!
If Pilates is introduced immediately into a rehabilitation program without proper investigation into the true state of the pain or injury, not only will it hinder recovery, it will also mean adding fuel to flame and may lead to inflammation and more pain. Every case is different and a thorough review with an experienced pilates instructor with the right expertise will guarantee results! Be sure to find out how the rehabilitation process is carried out in the training if you are looking for pilates rehabilitation programs.
In the next sequel of the article, we will follow up with how pilates is incorporated in the training for people who are suffering from chronic pain.
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