Pilates Rehabilitation

What is a Pilates Rehabilitation Practitioner?

A Pilates Rehabilitation Practitioner is not the same as a Pilates Instructor. The words Pilates Rehabilitation can only be used when associated with an individual who already has formal medical training.

Training as a Certified Pilates Rehabilitation Practitioner is reserved only for Physicians, Physical Therapists, Athletic Trainers, Occupational Therapists or Registered Nurses – those with formal education and training in musculoskeletal evaluation and management. The template of traditional Pilates Training is placed upon the foundations of the professional training in anatomy, physiology and kinesiology , etc. that is required of these professions. This certification program requires over 700 hours of training as well as a written and a practical exam and an oral defense.

There are approximately 175 Certified Pilates Rehabilitation Practitioners in the United States and approximately 420 worldwide. 

How is Pilates Rehabilitation different from traditional Physical Therapy? 

The goal of all Physical Therapy is help people return to the fullest function possible.  Even though a significant focus of my practice is based on Manual Therapy , the other aspect of returning to function is Movement Re-training . Movement retraining through therapeutic exercise is typically an important aspect of rehabilitation necessary to restore strength, flexibility or coordination  In my practice, I have found that Pilates Rehabilitation corrects faulty movement patterns incredibly well.  I don't use Pilates Rehabilitation exclusively, but I do use it more often than than traditional therapeutic exercises.