How can a Pilates Program Benefit your Clinic?

Today we hear from Martina Hauptmann, PT, PMA-CPI, instructor of "Pilates for the Pelvic Floor: Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Osteoporosis and Peripartum". Join Martina this September 19-20 in Chicago, IL to learn how to incorporate Pilates into your treatment plans!

Because the cost of staying in business is increasing and the insurance reimbursement rates are dropping, many physical therapy clinics are looking for cash based supplemental services (medically-orientated gym memberships, Pilates classes, yoga classes, durable exercise supplies etc). Offering Pilates as part of the physical therapy clinic’s therapeutic interventions will differentiate your clinic and may be marketed to physicians and the community to increase your clinic’s market share. Post rehabilitation, the offering of cash based Pilates wellness classes can increase the clinic’s bottom line, allowing for further rehabilitation of the client beyond the time frame allowed by insurances and improve retention of clients.

Pilates is a system and philosophy of exercises based on the work of Joseph Pilates (1883-1967) that focuses on precision and optimal alignment. This approach requires the client to focus her mind on the exercise in order to increase motor control. Women are attracted to the Pilates method because of its gentle but effective nature. Offering Pilates as part of your therapeutic offerings is a great marketing tool to physicians and to the community as well as an effective method for instructing specific muscle re-training.

My course will focus on the application of the Pilates method to women’s health issues: incompetent pelvic floor, hyperactive pelvic floor, chronic pelvic floor pain, pre-natal, post-natal and osteoporosis with small props. The course will utilize equipment that you may have in the clinic already (physio balls, foam rollers, resistance bands, small balls BOSUs and introduction to the Hooked on Pilates MINIMAX and HANDIBANDs).

The course specifically will incorporate Pilates exercises that increase the function of the pelvic floor via the intrinsic and extrinsic synergists of the pelvic floor muscles. Rationale for modified Pilates exercises for clients that exhibit hyperactivity in the pelvic floor muscles (Carriere & Feldt, 2006), pre-natal (ACOG, 2002) and osteoporosis (Sinaki, 1984 and Sinaki, 2002) will be discussed and modified exercises performed. Finally discussion of post-natal issues of lumbo-pelvic pain and pubic symphysis pain will be incorporated and specific exercises for these issues performed (Richardson and Jull, 1995).

This course has a heavy emphasis on exercise. Participants in this course will be able to utilize all instructed exercises immediately following the course. I hope to see you there!

References:
Carriere & Feldt (2006). The Pelvic Floor. Stuttgart, Germany: Georg Thieme Verlag.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2002).
Sinaki, Mikkelsen (1984). Post-menopausal spinal osteoporosis: Flexion versus extension exercises. Arch Phys Med Rehab. Vol 65, Oct, 593-596.
Sinaki et al. (2002). Stronger back muscles reduce the incidence of vertebral fractures: A prospective 10 year follow-up of postmenopausal women. Bone. 30(6); 836-841.
Richardson, Jull (1994). Muscle control-pain control. What exercises would you prescribe? Manual Therapy. 1, 2-10.