GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WALK

I’m out every day with my dogs and I prefer to run, but on days when I am walking for whatever reason, I’ve noticed a dull ache in my lower back from time to time.  I started to observe HOW I was walking and realised that I was leaning forward, almost pulling myself along and [...]

CREATE A GIRDLE OF STRENGTH WITH PILATES

Ask the unenlightened what Pilates is all about and they will most probably say “stengthening the core” – and indeed it is … partly.  When I went on my first Pilates training course, the instructor asked us all for our definition of Pilates and although most of us were new to it, we came up [...]

PILATES: SUPPORT FOR THE UNSTABLE SPINE

For years I thought I had a stiff back.  I lived with low level back ache and referred aches and pains through my legs, occasionally seeing the physio if the symptoms became acute, usually after exertion of some kind: continuous bending and twisting to pick up leaves, lifting boxes and twisting when we moved house.  Generally, I’m [...]

DEALING WITH AN UNSTABLE/HYPERMOBILE SPINE

Hypermobility and an unstable spine need to be stabilised by strengthening the supporting muscles to prevent injuries and pain such as sciatica.  In the previous article I explained the role of the spinal stabilisers: discs, ligaments and muscles.  This article aims to discover the reasons for the instability, the symptoms and the treatment. 
Causes 

A trauma of [...]

BACK PROBLEMS: FACET JOINT BREAKDOWN

A long post, I know, but there is a lot of useful information here.  Our free video this week is an excerpt taken from our Back Care Series of 3 videos to help you through each stage of back pain and help you maintain a healthy spine.
The spine is hooked together by a series of [...]

IMPROVE YOUR GOLF WITH PILATES:10 BENEFITS

A great golfer requires consistency and accuracy.  My husband has managed to reduce his golf handicap by 4 strokes over the past year.  His secret?  Better preparation.  I had been nagging him for ages to at least do some Pilates stretches before leaving the house, not least because he was complaining of lower back pain and [...]

HERNIATED DISC: OVERVIEW AND TREATMENT

Also known as slipped or bulging disc, this is actually much less common than we are led to believe: only about 5% of back problems are because of a prolapsed disc.  The term “slipped disc” is also misleading as this would lead us to believe that the whole disc slips out of place, whereas it [...]

IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING BY CYCLING

Running is one of the great loves of my life.  I discovered it in my teens and it has been a big part of my life ever since.  In the years when I was teaching a lot of aerobic style classes – sometimes five hours a day – running took a back seat, but at [...]

CAUSES OF A STIFF BACK & THE ROLE OF PILATES

STIFF BACK
My last blog on this subject discussed the symptoms and treatment of this very common cause of back pain, suggesting use of the Pilates video to help combat the problem.  Here I’m looking at the reasons why it should occur in the first place.
The Spine is designed to move: forward, backwards, sideways and twisting. [...]

STIFF BACK: SYMPTOMS & TREATMENT

There are many problems that can occur with the back, causing anything from general stiffness to acute pain, anywhere from a particular spot in the spine to referred pain, such as sciatica.  Unless you have suffered a trauma or have grown up with a defect of the spine, it is not always easy to find [...]