Chiropractic care and Pilates are great partners in your overall health and well-being. The combination of both helps to align the spine, strengthen the core, and improve nervous system function. Using both to help create a more balanced body and a life full of vitality may also decrease pain, create more stability, and provide a deeper connection between physical and mental well-being. Let us take a deeper look into this effective combination:

The Chiropractic Connection

If you think of your spine as the connection to all parts of your body, any misalignments to that connection can attribute pain or the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Chiropractic care can both heal and enhance health using techniques such as manual manipulation, muscle release or muscle activation therapy, and even newer technologies such as laser therapy.

Pilates Power

Pilates is a form of exercise created by Joseph Pilates in the early part of the 20th century. Its initial mainstream start was used as a modality to rehabilitate soldiers during World War I and professional dancers from the wear and tear of muscle overuse. Pilates concentrates on core engagement and just like Chiropractic care, it emphasizes proper body alignment.

The Pilates and Chiropractic Synergy  

So, what happens when you take the two powerhouses of Pilates and Chiropractic care, and put them together?

        Let us take a look at one of the most common ailments that plague the population: lower back pain. In today’s world, over 85% of the population have some sort of back pain that leads them to seek care[i].

For lower back pain Chiropractic care uses spinal manipulation, either by hand or with a device, to apply a controlled thrust to the spine's joints. This technique restores function and motion to the affected joints and vertebrae. Combined with other manual therapies, it can help break up painful or constricting scar tissue. Additionally, muscle release and activation therapies can aid in realignment, reduce imbalances, and restore the range of motion in the lower back.

While chiropractic care can rebalance your structure and address a leading cause of lower back pain, combining it with a regular Pilates routine provides postural support. Pilates strengthens and lengthens your core muscles, enhancing the healing benefits of chiropractic care and promoting overall alignment and stability.

How Effective is the Combination?

In a 2020 study that introduced a Pilates protocol to a group with low back pain and a group of healthy individuals, the results showed that the group with low back pain showed decreased discomfort and lower disability scores. Other benefits showed greater flexibility, and muscular intensity[ii]. Both Pilates and Chiropractic care also allows for posture awareness- when you become aware of how you are holding your body upright and correct any imbalances (think of the way we often slouch at a workstation) you can consciously correct those imbalances and alignment that can contribute to lower back pain.

Be ATOMIC!

 At Atomic Pilates and Chiropractic, you will find an integrated approach to Pilates, Chiropractic, fitness, and wellness. Combining both Pilates and Chiropractic care offers the perfect package to help you understand what is happening to both your skeletal and muscular alignment. Our Bluffdale-based office is home to Dr. Ryan, a dedicated and skilled sports chiropractor along with a team of experienced Pilates instructors that will help empower you to leave our care with the tools to properly support your body, mind and wellbeing. Contact us at our Bluffdale office today!

References:

  [i] Shmerling RH. Should you see a chiropractor for low back pain? Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/should-you-see-a-chiropractor-for-low-back-pain-2019073017412. Published August 16, 2019. Accessed February 20, 2025

[ii] Alves, Morgana Cardoso, et al. "Effects of a Pilates protocol in individuals with non-specific low back pain compared with healthy individuals: Clinical and electromyographic analysis." Clinical Biomechanics 72 (2020): 172-178.