What To Do If Pilates Causes Pain

One of the biggest reasons people start Pilates is to help some sort of injury or pain. Whether it’s lower back pain, hip pain or shoulder pain, Pilates is often recommended (keep in mind that this is not the only benefit Pilates has though)
 
Sometimes though things do not go as we have planned. I often get a number of people who see me either in my Pilates classes or my Therapy studio, who have tried Pilates, but has found it causes them more pain than they had before!
 
In this article we are going to look at reasons why this might happen, and what you can do if it does.

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There are a number of reasons that Pilates may cause increased pain in people. The key thing is to remember:
“If Pilates gives any pain, you must contact your GP at the first opportunity”.  

It would be incorrect to think “no pain, no gain” or that the pain will do you good in the long run.

Here are just a few reasons why you may be getting pain in your Pilates class:

1. Biomechanical dysfunction: If you find that you are able to do every move perfectly, you can incorporate all the Pilates principles into every move and your still getting pain, then there is likely something causing this and a full biomechanics screen should be able to tell you this. They will also be able to perform Therapy and supply a unique corrective exercise programme based on this screening which should help your Pilates should be a lot more effective and less chance of it being painful.
2. Our Technique is wrong: We may feel like we are doing the technique as perfectly as the instructor demonstrated, but a lot of the time we tend to find what we think we are doing and what are actually are doing at two very different things. This is why a class with consistent hands on correction from your instructor gives the best benefit. If we do our technique wrong and there is a chance we could underload/overload certain muscles. If this happens over time it’s more than likely going to lead to pain.
3. Not fully understanding the Pilates principles: This is probably the most common error I see in Pilates. Whilst we can all find out the Pilates exercises, they don’t offer anywhere near as much benefit unless we apply the Pilates principles. In particular we need to understand good alignment, breathing technique and inner abdominal activation. They may take a while to fully learn but without them a big part of the benefit is lost. Without learning these principles correctly, we are increasing our chances of Pilates being painful.
4. Not choosing the right Pilates class – Pilates class are not all the same, far from it. It’s important you pick the class that’s right for you (and we don’t mean location & time wise). If for example you are suffering from back pain, then you won’t get much benefit from going to a class at your local gym. Likewise if you are a ballet dance and want to improve your performance you might not get as much benefit attending a class aimed at improving back pain. Look around and pick the class that is right for you.
5. Class are too big: Pilates is all about quality not quantity and that goes for people in your classes too. Usually we say 8 is an absolute maximum to get benefit from Pilates classes (even that can be pushing it). Otherwise there is no chance the instructor can keep an eye and correct all participants, and if that happens we are more vulnerable to pain and injury
   

These are just a few things to consider if you are getting pain when doing Pilates. Always seek professional advice if you find this happens. As always you are always more than welcome to contact me and I will do my best to help you. 

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About the author
I am a Manual Therapist covering a range of different disciplines including massage & Biomechanics. I also run small specialist Pilates classes around Corfe Mullen, Broadstone, Wareham, Wimborne & Poole. Instead of just purely rubbing the pain, I always look to see if I can find a potential cause (or causes of the pain) and then work on treating this.