CLINICAL PILATES

The history of Pilates

Before we look at what Clinical Pilates entails, we need to take a look at the history of Pilates. Known originally as  Contrology, it was developed by Joseph Pilates (1880-1967). The Pilates method as it is commonly known today is a mind-body conditioning programme.

Joseph Pilates overcame many childhood afflictions. In his quest to attain physical and mental harmony, he studied many different forms of exercises, including tai chi, yoga and karate. He worked in many different environments including training army cadets, gymnastics and boxing. After moving to New York, Pilates was later adopted by dancers as its philosophy blended well with their focus on core strength, coordination, flexibility and posture.

In the early 1990s, rehabilitation specialists (such as physiotherapists) began to incorporate Pilates exercises and equipment into their protocols. However, they found that some aspects of what they were importing did not sit well with the best available evidence from sports therapy and rehabilitation research. By infusing Pilates exercises with well-established physiotherapy concepts (and thereby scientific validity) Clinical Pilates was born.

Characteristics of Clinical Pilates

The objectives of our Clinical Pilates sessions are to:

• Create a diagnostic and rehabilitation tool for injury and performance enhancement
• Assess progress from static stabilisation to dynamic, training local then global stability systems
• Ensure neutral zone stability comes before end-of-range flexibility
• Fulfil established evidence based criteria
• Observe pathology under load and modify accordingly
• Prioritise strict adherence to scientific interpretation of the principles of Pilates
• Achieve postural re-education

How to book appointments

In our physiotherapy treatments, our therapist may use Clinical Pilates as part of your rehabilitation. All initial consultations are 45 minutes in duration, with subsequent follow-up appointments for 30 or 45 minutes. To consult our fees, click here. You can book physiotherapy appointments at our clinic in Putney using the online booking form. If you encounter any problems while attempting to book online, contact our reception team on 020 8789 3881.

Other Pilates services

• Reformer Pilates (machine based)
• Gentle Pilates (mat-based)
• Pregnancy Pilates