What is Clinical Pilates and how does it differ from regular Pilates?
Clinical Pilates is a rehabilitation focused approach to Pilates, designed for individuals recovering from injury, managing pain, or experiencing movement challenges.
Unlike traditional Pilates classes that follow a standard routine, clinical Pilates is highly individualized. Each program is developed and guided by a clinical Pilates trained physiotherapist and is based on a comprehensive assessment of your movement, pain, and functional goals.
Programs may incorporate exercises utilizing specially developed Pilates equipment including the mat, reformer, tower or wunda chair, depending on your specific needs. The focus is not on general fitness, but on safe, targeted movement to support injury recovery, improve mobility, and build strength with purpose.
Clinical Pilates is billed as a physiotherapy session as it is a form of treatment and active rehabilitation that is led by a registered physiotherapist.
Can I attend clinical Pilates sessions solely for fitness purposes?
Our clinical Pilates sessions are designed specifically for the rehabilitation of a physical injury (such as a joint injury or muscle strain), to assist in recovery from surgery, or for movement re-education to improve pain. All of our clinical Pilates sessions are led one-on-one by a registered and clinical Pilates trained physiotherapist. These sessions aim to support recovery and improve function with the goal of transitioning you back to regular fitness activities, including Pilates based workouts in the community. As such, we do not offer clinical Pilates purely as a fitness class or for general exercise.
If you're looking for Pilates as a fitness option, we recommend exploring local Pilates studios or community centres that offer mat based or reformer classes suited to general wellness and exercise goals.
What conditions may benefit from clinical Pilates?
- Hypermobility disorders
- Pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain
- Prenatal and postnatal
- Diastasis rectus abdominus (elongation of abs in the midline)
- Persistent low back pain
- Postural pain and headaches
- Cancer rehabilitation such as breast cancer (mastectomy and lumpectomy)
- Post-surgery (ACL repair, knee replacement, hip replacement, etc)
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Sports injuries
Is clinical Pilates safe during pregnancy and postpartum?
Yes, clinical Pilates can be safe during pregnancy. Since all sessions are one-on-one with a supervising physiotherapist, exercises can be specifically tailored to your individual needs and adjusted as your pregnancy progresses.
Supportive equipment such as wedges and foam blocks may be used to help reduce strain on the back and pelvis, ensuring movements remain safe and comfortable. Clinical Pilates helps maintain strength, mobility, and postural stability throughout pregnancy, while avoiding positions or exercises that may not be comfortable or appropriate for your stage of pregnancy.
In the postpartum period, clinical Pilates can support core and pelvic floor recovery, improve lumbo-pelvic stability and restore optimal muscle recruitment, helping you safely and confidently return to daily activities and exercise.Is clinical Pilates safe after breast cancer surgery (mastectomy or lumpectomy)?
Yes, clinical Pilates can be a safe and effective rehabilitation option following breast cancer surgery, including mastectomy and lumpectomy. It focuses on rebuilding strength, mobility, and posture with exercises that are tailored to your specific recovery needs to promote both physical recovery and mental well-being.
For individuals with lymphedema (swelling of the affected limb), research shows that Pilates-based exercises can effectively reduce upper limb volume and improve muscular and cardiovascular system function (Şener et al., 2017).
To optimize recovery, it's recommended to have a physiotherapy session before surgery, where you can discuss a personalized rehabilitation plan and prepare your body for recovery.Can clinical Pilates help with low back pain?
Yes, clinical Pilates can be highly effective in alleviating low back pain by strengthening key muscles such as the abdominal wall, paraspinals, and pelvic floor, which are essential for supporting the spine and reducing discomfort.
Pilates offers a novel movement approach that focuses on controlled, purposeful exercises designed to improve mobility and stability, and helping to reduce pain. These benefits can be experienced by people from all walks of life including athletes, new mothers, and older adults, regardless of previous experience. Research has shown that Pilates decreases pain, enhances physical function (Lin et al., 2016), and builds movement confidence leading to reduced fear of movement due to pain or reinjury - also known as kinesiophobia (de Freitas et al., 2020).Please note:
Before starting any exercise program after breast surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation it’s important to obtain clearance from your physician, surgeon or oncologist to ensure that the program is safe and appropriate for your specific needs. If your surgeon has provided a list of movement restrictions for your postoperative period, please bring these to your session.
