I have always been a huge fan of doctors that vet their patients and choose to say no to surgery. Maybe try the less invasive way first?

In my professional career as a Pilates and Movement Specialist I have seen several clients having had had a spinal fusion surgery. They come to me because the surgery was unsuccessful, or it did not produce the relief promised or expected. 

With “a procedure that almost inevitably means trading flexibility for stability” the continued strength and conditioning of the affected area is then left to the patient. Usually, this is where physical therapy steps in. Physical Therapy is a brilliant way to begin healing after surgery, but it often comes with an expiration date. Most insurance companies only allow for a certain number of visits and therapists tend to decide at some point that you are well enough to move on. But where to? Where can a person go that has had a spinal fusion and is just coming back with minimal knowledge of how to go about daily life?

Pilates has long been used as a conditioning method to strengthen the small muscle groups more prone to under-engagement. Pilates work realigns the body, teaches dynamic breathing and encourages the client to reeducate themselves on HOW to move better, with more total function for everyday life. A Pilates trainer carefully cues the client/student with detail to activate those local, deeper muscles, firing up a support system from the inside for prolonged support.

Pilates educators take into consideration not only the area of trauma but the way the whole body is functioning due to that injury. What else is influencing the cause for repeated discomfort? Where else is the body protecting, holding or yielding and is that way optimal or not?

Many of my colleagues (including myself) often also take note of a person’s emotional and mental well-being, what their overall lives look like and other factors, like diet, that may be contributing to the body functioning at its best.

Choosing a Pilates practice after (or before) back surgery is not just an option for a professional athlete. To reap the immense benefits of Pilates you need to be human and willing to rewire your brain to body connections. You want change, less pain, more of your regular life back (no pun intended). And, if fusion surgery is what you have opted for or completed, then maintaining mobility in the spine is key to continuing a balanced life. Pilates can always change with you. It is not the same movements done each time you come to class or take a session. It is personal, integrated and takes you forward no matter where you are or have been.