Clinical Pilates Available in Burnie
Providing Physiotherapy services to North West Tasmania since 1998
Pilates as delivered by trained Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists
What is Clinical Pilates?
Clinical Pilates is a treatment designed to improve how your trunk and ‘core’ muscles work. The exercises and equipment have been developed by experienced practitioners over the last 30 years and these are constantly evolving as more research is being completed in this area. Clinical Pilates adds that additional element of clinical knowledge to all the Pilates exercises.
Clinical Pilates involves completing specific exercise that is determined by your physiotherapist after an assessment of your problems. The exercise is specifically designed to help turn on the deep stabilising muscles around the spine which may lead to decreased pain and improved function. Each patient needs to be individually assessed to determine what exercise is most appropriate.
This treatment may involve the use of equipment known as a reformer or they may take the form of floor exercises. This treatment differs from the Pilates you see in the gym or on DVD’s as the exercises are designed with those who have injuries and do not generally involve performing stretching movements. We have DMA reformers and trapeze tables amongst other equipment to use for optimal clinical pilates treatment.
Clinical Pilates is a good choice of treatment for patients with back pain who have been told they need to improve their ‘core strength’. Appointments can be made with Simon West, Jarrod Wilson, or Damien Moore at the Burnie clinic for an individual assessment.
Pilates Classes
We offer 7 Pilates group classes per week:
– Tuesday 7-8AM
– Tuesday 1-2PM
– Tuesday 5:15-6:15PM
– Wednesday 5-6PM
– Wednesday 6-7PM
– Thursday 5-6PM
– Thursday 6-7PM
If you are interested in joining any of these classes, please phone 64314586 for more information. Due to popularity there is currently a waiting list for most of the classes, however it pays to put your name down to secure a spot once there is availability.
Before commencing within a group class, one of our Exercise Physiologists (Simon West, Jarrod Wilson) will conduct an individual assessment to ensure Pilates is an appropriate treatment option for you. The Exercise Physiologist will assess your movement patterns, teach you the basics of activating your core muscles and address any specific postural deficits you may have.
It is always best to attend a one-on-one pilates session or a class in clothing that is comfortable for you to exercise in. Additionally, we recommend bringing a water bottle as these sessions can be hard work at times!
Clinical Pilates Vs Pilates Class
Clinical Pilates is different from a Pilates class as it is focused on your individual movement problems rather than ‘general conditioning’ you will receive in the classes we offer. The clinical Pilates exercises aim to re-educate specific movement patterns, re-train posture control and assist with acitivties of daily living in addition to improving sports performance. Both one-on-one clinical pilates sessions and the group classes are run at our Burnie Physio Clinic. We use Pilates equipment such as reformers, the trapeze table, fit balls and therabands.
What are the benefits?
Pilates exercise can be helpful for many conditions, not just for back pain sufferers. Pilates strengthens your trunk and abdominal muscles, improves postural awareness and alignment and helps to reduce pain and disability. Pilates can also improve co-ordination through the use of our equipment to guide your movements and improve your balance through retraining your movement reactions. For example using our stability poles whilst doing single leg exercises, or higher level standing on a disc doing a resisted arm exercise. Pilates can help reduce the re-occurrence of injuries; often people will say an injury keeps re-occurring with the smallest of movements or strains, e.g. “I picked up a cloth from the floor and my back went”. Our Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists can assess your movement bias, identify the problem and through Pilates improve your body’s movement patterns.
Did you know that physiotherapists are classified as primarly health care practitioners? This means you can make an appointment as a private patient without requiring a referral from a GP or specialist. Book an assessment to activate your health.