Pilates and Corefit | Targeted Core Strengthening for Injury Prevention and Rehab

How Pilates & Corefit can help you overcome neck and back pain

Neck and back problems are very common. Though many sufferers are told that neck or back pain will eventually get better on its own, this may not be the case. Recent research has suggested that if you injure your lower back, for example, you may have recurring problems and still be complaining of some pain and disability 12 months later. If you do suffer from ongoing spinal pain, here are some things to think about when choosing what to do about your problem.

Passive treatments

Passive treatment is where your therapist or doctor does all of the work in helping you overcome your spinal problems. In the initial stages of neck or back injury, common passive treatments such as medication, spinal manipulative therapy, dry needling etc. may give you good relief. This may help you overcome an episode of spinal pain. However, it is very common for people’s spinal pain to recur several times in the ensuing 12 months and still be present to some degree at the end of this 12-month period. Having no treatment, or an over-reliance on passive treatment, may be part of the reason these spinal problems linger on.

Active treatment

Prolonged abstinence from activity is not advised. An important part of your treatment should be ‘active’ therapy. This involves performing range of movement and strengthening exercises, as well as returning to normal activity as soon as you can tolerate it. Physiotherapy is very much about involving the patient in therapy and teaching the patient to do self-treatment exercises to enhance recovery. Active treatment makes you less reliant on passive treatments.

Your ‘core’ muscles

Recent research has suggested that to effectively control neck or back pain, one should try to improve the so-called ‘core’ muscles. These are the muscles that hold your joints in the correct position during activity. If they are not working properly, your joints may undergo excessive load and strain. This can lead to tissue damage and pain. Poor ‘core’ muscle control may be one reason people develop spinal problems. It may also be a reason people suffer recurring bouts of trouble.

What is Corefit?

In simple terms, Corefit is the performance of various exercises while paying particular attention to contracting the ‘core’ muscles. There are some traditional Corefit exercises and moves that have evolved from dance and ballet practices. In recent times, the variety of Corefit and Corefit-style exercises has increased significantly. These may include equipment-based exercises (e.g. using the Reformer), mat exercises, water-based exercises, elastic tubing, or even gym-based routines using dumbbells.

The difference between clinical Corefit and fitness Corefit

Physiotherapists have generally embraced Corefit as a way of helping spinal pain sufferers. It helps to improve their ‘core’ muscles to try and overcome their problem and prevent recurrence. It is also used to enhance performance in athletes. In these circumstances, Corefit exercises are carried out after the physiotherapist has examined the patient and worked out which exercises will suit the patient’s specific issues. The physiotherapist closely supervises the exercises to ensure they are appropriate and effective for the spinal condition. This is referred to as clinical Corefit.

The type of Corefit carried out in gyms and non-physio studios is designed to help increase general fitness, tone, weight loss, and posture. This is often referred to as fitness Corefit. It is generally not conducted by a qualified health professional and may not be appropriate for someone with spinal pain.

When to try Corefit

If you have ongoing or recurrent spinal problems, please contact us about starting Corefit. After an initial assessment, a few one-on-one sessions are often helpful, followed by attending Corefit classes and/or continuing with home exercises.

Pilates and Corefit available at Kings Park, Lockleys and Glenelg.