Evidence-based ways Clinical Pilates can support your patients’ rehabilitation and strength goals

Allied health professionals build their careers on the foundations of science, research and clinical evidence. So naturally, if you’re an allied health professional looking to upskill or step up in your career, you’ll want to do so in a way that aligns with your values and your practice. That means it’s important to seek out further training, education and learning opportunities which are rooted in extensive research and evidence too, allowing you to ensure you’re consistently keeping up with the latest scientific developments in your chosen field, and integrating them into your practice to allow you to support your patients to achieve the most optimal health outcomes possible.

Unite Health’s APPI Clinical Pilates Certification is your one-stop shop to elevate your career while prioritising evidence-based therapeutic movement practices which have been proven to make a significant difference to the lives and health of your patients. Designed by physiotherapists based on years of clinical experience and research, and taught by expert educators who are all leading their chosen fields in the Pilates industry, our courses delve into the foundational movement patterns of Pilates, equipping you with an in-depth understanding of human anatomy and physiology and how you can effectively modify and progress all movements to suit the individual needs and abilities of each of your patients.

So basically, you’ll walk away feeling confident in your ability to tailor any movement pattern to each of your clients’ abilities and requirements, allowing you to help them achieve results far superior to those they’d see if they adopted a more general, less evidence-based approach to their health.

When you incorporate clinical Pilates into your practice, you’re able to help each of your patients work towards rehabilitation and strength goals, amongst many others. Let’s dive into exactly how clinical Pilates has been proven to help you do so - particularly when it’s a highly respected, evidence-based education you’re drawing upon to help them do so.

• You can adopt a personalised, evidence-based approach to cater to each of your patients’ individual needs and goals.

The individual focus of clinical Pilates means you’re creating movement patterns and exercises entirely based upon each one of your clients’ unique needs and health goals. For example, if a patient presents to you with a shoulder injury, you’re able to use your in-depth knowledge of clinical Pilates to assign exercises designed to work the affected muscles, without causing further damage or injury. You can prescribe progressive movement patterns, according to the speed at which you notice improvements in your patient, meaning you can design treatment plans and programs that help the client rehabilitate their injury effectively, and strengthen the affected muscles to prevent any future injuries or weaknesses. 

Plus, you can be confident in the knowledge that any patterns you’re recommending are based upon evidence that they work and can support your patient’s needs. As a result, you’re protecting your patient from injury and helping them improve their health and achieve their goals.

By completing our APPI Clinical Pilates Certification, you’ll be equipped with an extensive range of movements and exercises, all of which has been individually proven to support strength and rehabilitation goals, allowing you to address whatever issues your patients present with. So you can walk away empowered and confident in the fact you can assist allyour patients, no matter their abilities or goals, opening up many doors for the types of patients you can work with, and the employment opportunities you’re able to seek out.

• The individual focus identifies any weaknesses or deficits in your patient, and works to turn them into strengths.

If you have a patient with a weakness in, let’s say, one hamstring but not the other, you’re able to confidently integrate clinical Pilates into your practice in working with them to help them identify this muscle deficit, and incorporate exercises and movements to strengthen it. As a result, you can correct any imbalances that are occurring as a result using an evidence-based approach you know will be effective. For example, the patient might be compensating for a weakness in one muscle by overusing many different surrounding muscle groups in key movement patterns. But, with your clinical Pilates knowledge, you’re able to “plug the gap”, fixing any weaknesses and working to effectively strengthen all affected muscles. This means your patient will experience ongoing improved health outcomes and results - and you’ve essentially turned a weakness into a strength due to your extensive knowledge and understanding of clinical Pilates and human anatomy.

Similarly, clinical Pilates addresses any underlying causes of pain or health concerns your patients might be experiencing. Instead of offering a band-aid solution to address any issues your patient is experiencing, you’re knowledgeable and capable enough to identify the key cause for concern driving pains or injuries. Then, you can suggest modifications and interventions which directly support the rehabilitation and strengthening of any problem areas, and again prevent further injuries.

Clinical Pilates allows you to go above and beyond the scope of your regular allied health practice, working on your patients’ smaller, supportive muscles as well as larger muscle groups like quads and hamstrings. As a result, evidence shows that you can help your patients achieve far superior results, as you’re getting to the root of any problems or pain they’re experiencing, and addressing these directly to prevent future issues and heal existing concerns. It’s a guaranteed way to improve both the health outcomes of your patients, but also their satisfaction and appreciation for your skills and expertise.

• Clinical Pilates improves core strength, stability and posture.

Core strength, stability and posture are key pillars of health, and are recognised as such by allied health professionals. Extensive evidence shows just how effective clinical Pilates is in allowing you to support your patients in addressing these foundations. You can work with each client to improve their core strength, stability and posture by challenging those smaller muscle groups we discussed earlier. In doing so, your patients will notice improvements in their range of motion, balance, movement control and quality of movement, allowing them to move through life feeling more confident, capable and stable. Plus, they’ll experience a far reduced risk of injury and falls. They’ll be singing your praises.

Clinical Pilates was originally developed to help your patients deepen their mind-body connection, and to activate core stabilising muscles to develop a stable musculoskeletal system and improved range of motion. These focuses mean you can incorporate your evidence-based learnings into your practice, and see huge improvements in your patients’ strength, stability and posture as a result.

• Clinical Pilates helps your patients see improved results by activating muscles correctly.

Another benefit of working on those smaller muscle groups which provide stability, core strength and balance is that clinical Pilates intentionally activates all the necessary muscles required for any movement you’re prescribing. That means, instead of your patients dropping into a squat without recruiting the correct muscles, and putting excessive pressure on their knees to compensate, you can show them how to properly activate their hamstrings, glutes, quads and all other muscles needed to correctly execute a squat without risking injury or damage to other muscles or body parts.

Not only has this been proven to once again reduce injury risk, it also allows your clients to get more out of each movement they perform - so they can expect to see better results in terms of toning, strengthening and rehabilitation, in a shorter period of time.

• Clinical Pilates is low impact, and has been proven to offer a pain-free form of movement to all different needs and life stages.

Evidence shows clinical Pilates helps to improve sports performance, is safe for pre- and post-natal clients (when the correct training has been completed - see here for more details about working with Ante and Post Natal clients!), and can be tailored to address all different needs and abilities. The low-impact style of training means it offers a pain-free alternative to movement, making it suitable for any life stage (including elderly patients), health status or fitness ability. As a result, it’s been proven to be a safe, effective style of movement appropriate for enhancing any health outcomes and goals.

Remember, clinical Pilates is all about providing an evidence-based, personalised approach to each of your patients. And naturally, in guiding your patients through proven techniques and movements, and showing them how to correctly activate and recruit muscles to reduce injury risk and enhance strengthening and rehabilitation goals, you’re able to support them to achieve their unique goals far more effectively. Each movement is selected specifically for your individual patient, allowing you to restore their full function, range of motion, posture, strength, balance and flexibility, and catering to their specific abilities, injuries and needs. Your patients will feel confident in your science-based knowledge and expertise, and in the proven benefits of clinical Pilates, and will appreciate their improved ability to achieve their personal goals. In fact, you may even decide to elevate your pricing or pursue career opportunities more closely aligned with your own aspirations as a result of your elevated knowledge and evidence-based understanding of your practice!

The benefits of clinical Pilates are endless, and supported by extensive research and evidence. And while completing your APPI Clinical Pilates Certification allows you to support each of your patients more fully and achieve far superior results and outcomes, it also improves your own confidence in your practice and ability, as well as your knowledge base and career opportunities.

Ready to deepen your knowledge, skills and confidence in your career as an allied health professional? Sign up for our upcoming APPI Clinical Pilates Certification here! Or, you can book a time to chat with our friendly course experts here, to determine the best course option for you and your goals and career aspirations!