So many people have lower back pain these days, wouldn’t you agree? Whether from a fall, a birth defect, age, job-related or inactivity, we all know someone suffering with back issues.

In fact, that’s how several instructors at LightSpace discovered Pilates in the first place. Allison started taking Pilates after dealing with chronic lower back pain for years. She went to her doctor, and after only a short appointment (about 15 minutes she remembers) Allison walked out with three prescriptions – Vicodin, a strong anti-inflammatory, and a muscle relaxers. All with refills too. And almost as an afterthought, he doctor also told her to try physical therapy.

Well, the pills didn’t work…but instead just made her loopy. And, after two rounds of PT (with reduced back pain but not completely gone) Allison’s very frustrated PT told her to go “try Pilates or something.” What happened next? After four months of Pilates (1 private session and 1 mat class per week), her back pain reduced to the point that it was barely noticeable. And today, almost 10 years later, her back pain is completely gone. No pills needed. And you all know what happened next – Allison became a huge advocate of Pilates for back pain and injury that she became an instructor herself!

Which is why a recent article from the New York Times was particularly captivating. It appears that more and more doctors are in support of physical activity over medication as a first line of treatment. Check out the article here: Lower Back Ache? Be Active and Wait It Out, New Guidelines Say

The new guidelines said that doctors should avoid prescribing opioid painkillers for relief of back pain and suggested that before patients try anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants, they should try alternative therapies like exercise…

At LightSpace we completely agree! And we’re committed to helping our clients live an active, pain free, and balanced life. We do that by listening to you, observing how you move, and then guiding you in restoring optimal posture and movement – with the goal of a dynamically stable and flexible body. We educate you about your body and how it works, current faulty movement patterns that cause instability or pain, thus helping you rehab from current injuries and reducing the likelihood of future injury. PS we have fun while we’re doing it 🙂

Know someone suffering from back pain (or any other physical injury)? Send them to LightSpace!