Mumbai Impressions-A Pilates Instructors First Trip to India

I arrived in Mumbai around 2am on Friday November 20th after leaving Portland at 8:45am on November 18th. Once our plane had landed in Mumbai we were shuffled from one line to another to go through customs and through a special Swine Flu checkpoint. Then began a very long wait for our luggage. It seemed to trickle out one bag at a time and by the time my bag finally turned up it was close to 4am. I almost missed finding Samir who was hosting the course and had been outside waiting for me for 2 ½ hours. Fortunately, we finally made the connection and he drove me to my hotel in the Malabar Hill area of Mumbai.
After a good 7 hours of sleep I awoke and ordered the vegetarian “sumo” meal from the hotel restaurant.

It was delicious, and “sumo” enough to last me for two meals! Samir picked me up later and took me the few blocks to Gold’s Gym where the Intensive Reformer course would be held. We finished assembling the SPX reformers before heading back to the hotel. I discovered that the hotel was “dry” which is fairly common in India. Fortunately there was a “bottle shop” just down the street where I could get a beer when needed! It took me several days to get over the jet lag and I think I would have recovered sooner if I’d been able to get to sleep earlier on my arrival. As it was, I would come back from the course every day around 4pm and be utterly exhausted and would then take a short nap. This was a terrible idea as I would then wake up each morning around 3am and be unable to go to sleep again. I finally broke that cycle, but it took almost a week to feel completely adjusted.
The Gold’s Gym was just a few blocks from the hotel, so after a nice buffet breakfast I would walk down there each morning to do a little workout/warmup before the class started at 10am. Malabar Hill is a very prestigious neighborhood that was originally developed by the British.

Since it is up on a hill it tends to get more breezes and be slightly cooler than the lower parts of the city. If Malabar Hill was the coolest spot in Mumbai, I wasn’t looking forward to venturing out from there! The temperatures during my first week in Mumbai hovered between 92 – 94 degrees and the humidity was intense. I can’t imagine what the city would be like during the hot monsoon season!
I had seven students in the IR course and they were all new to pilates for the most part. A few had done some mat classes, but I was really starting from the ground level with all of them. The first day we went through the principles of STOTT PILATES and learned how to set up and use the SPX reformers. At the beginning with a group like this I always feel that it is going to be a real uphill battle to get through all the elements of the course and really get them to understand the subtleties of the pilates repertory. As we progressed though, things got better.

Everyone really worked hard to learn these new concepts and movements. I always want to have more time too, and it is hard to let go and leave them to practice on their own. I hope that they will keep in touch with me as they continue their pilates training.

A hard thing to get used to in Mumbai is the abrupt contrast between the well to do and the very poor. Even in an affluent neighborhood like Malabar Hill there are constant reminders of extreme poverty. Unlike the US, which tends to keep it’s wealthiest areas quite distanced from any sign of poverty, India mixes everything together. A billionaire’s home will have a squatters hut built on the outskirts of the estate. One side of a road will be filled with wealthy mansions and condos and the other side will be filled with shacks made of corrugated tin. What is even more bizarre is that no one seems to notice this dichotomy.

Mumbai is filled with these contradictions. It is what makes the city such a crazy, adrenaline filled circus! After a few days here, your rhythm changes and you start to feel the honking, screeching, tabla beat of the city get inside of you. Whatever you do here, don’t miss the thrill ride of taking a taxi or a autorickshaw around town!

How Pilates has Changed my Life

Pilates has been my saving grace in so many ways.   After having a 10.5 lb baby boy a couple of years ago, my small framed body and alignment was a wreck! I had hip and lower back pain with walking and I began to worry that it would be a lifelong problem.  After a series of visits to the chiropractor with no relief in sight, and after X-rays and MRI, the chiropractor said she could not help me.   She strongly recommended pilates because of it’s ability to alleviate my alignment issues and build core strength where I needed it.    My first visit to Ishbel for my postural analysis was a very humble one as I was not even stable enough to try the leg stirrups.    Each visit was better and better, and I added “homework” prescribed by Isbhel consisting of 3 specific pilates exercises at home -slowly, after about six months, the pain in my lower back and hip subsided.  It was a gradual improvement but one that I am forever grateful for.  Walking with pain is never something I could imagine having to just live with.   Now, about 18 mos. after my first introduction to Pilates, I am enjoying taking reformer classes, jumpboard plus, a mat class here and there, and the occasional pilates seminar.    Thank you to all of you at Pilates NW for caring so much and helping me become active and fit again.

Tonya

Cross-training for female teen athletes

This question was sent and responded to through email, but we thought others might be interested!

Hi! I teach STOTT PILATES at two great studios in the Chicago suburbs…The Pilates Body and Oak Brook Racquet and Fitness Club.

My question is about female teen athletes. I would like to develop a cross-training workout for this population: One that enhances their play and also protects them from injury (including, but not limited to injuries of the ACL and knee area).

What are your suggestions?

Many thanks!

Salle Huber

Answer from Leslie Braverman:

Hi Salle:

Thanks for your note. I think Pilates will be a great cross-training program for your girls. There are many wonderful STOTT PILATES workshops that you can take that will give you exercises and specifics for training with this unique population. I would recommend:

Functional Fitness for Racquet Sports on Mat and Reformer
Jumpboard Intervals
Athletic Conditioning on the Reformer and/or on V2 Max and/or on the Stability Chair
Mini Trampoline workout (this is new and not up on STOTT PILATES site yet)
BOSU workshops

You can find descriptions about these at:
http://www.stottpilates.com/education/cont-ed/index.html

All these workshops will help you enhance your skills as a teacher for working with athletes that play racquet sports. The golf conditioning workshops may be beneficial to you as well. The jumpboard, BOSU and trampoline workshops, listed above, will help you create workshops that promote balance, endurance and power for your athletes. This way you are helping them develop all the finesse that is required to be stable around their joints and providing them with workouts that “surprise” their joints so they can adapt to a variety of situations.

Melanie’s Lower Extremity Series in the month of May might also interest you. Of course, these workshops are not specific to working with athletes only.

Our studio is offering many of these workshops listed above. You can see the schedule for 2009 here:
http://www.pacificnwpilates.com/stott/5-workshops/home.htm

I hope this information is helpful. I am forwarding your note along to Jean, Melanie and Traci in case they have other things to add.

Best of luck,

How to do quality pilates when you’re on a budget

Given the current economic climate, it is not surprising that people are having to cut back on their pilates lessons. It’s also not surprising that gyms with pilates programs are having to cut back on their programming. So, what can you do to keep in pilates shape and watch your wallet?

You could select a DVD or find a workout online that you like, but the problem with that is you don’t receive any feedback about how you are doing the exercises and with pilates, feedback is paramount!

Instead, find a reputable instructor in your area (see my recent blog about finding a good pilates intructor) and ask he or she to select a Pilates DVD that is appropriate for your fitness level. Then purchase a small package of private lessons with that instructor in order to work on the exercises highlighted int he DVD. Especially if you have an injury or other special condition, it may be really important to make sure that your pilates technique is being evaluated; in some cases, your instructor may suggest that you omit certain exercises that are taught on the DVD.

Over the last several months, some of my students have chosen this option when they didn’t have the financial means to come to the studio every week. This method has also worked well for students that travel alot. In some cases, these students have continued to supplement their training with group classes while others have simply worked at home and then come in once a month to get their routine changed and their technique reassessed.

This solution requires discipline, but it can be an excellent alternative to getting out of shape or losing interest in your workouts when money is tight. Ask your instructor to provide challenges for you to meet and things for you to work on by the next appointment.

Another idea is to look for studios in your area that offer lessons with Pilates apprentices. These are pilates teachers-in-training that have completed all their course hours but have not completed their examination. In many cases, these students will teach you privately at a highly discounted rate, and they are often observed by a seasoned professional. Check out pilates centers in your area that train students to become certified instructors and offer this as an option.

Here is a link to STOTT PILATES Licensing Centers located throughout the world:

http://www.stottpilates.com/education/centers.html

Each of these locations has an Instructor Trainer available. Licensing centers train students to become STOTT PILATES teachers, so these are some of the most elite studios in the industry, and many of them offer discounted lessons with apprentices.

If none of these locations are convenient for you, check out the Instructor Finder search for other certified STOTT PILATES instructors that are near your area at:

http://www.stottpilates.com/finder/infosearch/infocustomerconfirm.lasso

Good luck!

Pilates can condition your body and mind like a dancer’s

I started doing pilates while dancing as a student in New York City at the School of American Ballet during the summer of 1988, and it is still the only kind of cross training I do. I’ve tried yoga, I’ve tried running, I’ve tried weight lifting, but none of them have stuck.

Pilates has been used by dancers as a method of improving technique and helping to rehabilitate injuries for decades. In fact, famous clients of Joseph Pilates include Martha Graham and George Balanchine, two of the most influential people in American dance history. Because of this, generations of dancers have studied pilates since the 1940’s.

So, what makes Pilates so useful to dancers? And can these concepts be applied to others?

Tracey Carboneau of Bouand DanceCompany

When Joseph Pilates worked with students, it is said, that he worked with everyone as an individual and, in fact, he had many of his students that were dancers work in a parallel position versus in a turned-out (externally rotated) position. His logic, likely, was to try to counter the work that dancers normally do (often in an externally rotated position) and provide more balance to the muscles fibers of the legs that get overworked by always being shortened in one way. So, while it may be assumed that the idea of turning out the legs is what makes pilates useful to dancers, on the contrary, it seems it is the idea of balance that is more important.

I remember when I first started doing Pilates it felt strange and awkward, to try to keep my legs in a parallel position. In fact, I had to look down at my feet sometimes in order to see if my feet really were in that position. I started to feel new muscles working- my adductors felt sore in a new way, and my quadriceps were really weak in parallel positions, especially when asked to jump or balance in a deep lunge. And strangely, my turn-out improved, and I felt stronger while dancing then ever before! I remember thinking, at the time, how odd it was that my legs would get stronger, be able to go up higher and externally rotate more easily by working on the opposing muscle groups.

Today, I find this is true with clients. If I focus on creating balance in their overall movement, they find improvement happens in their other activities. For example, if I work with someone that is a golfer, I try to provide them with a workout that balances their body. In other words, if he or she always hits the ball from one direction, I make sure they do a lot of spinal rotation in the other direction when they do pilates, and, inevitably, their golf swing improves!

Another reason, I believe, that pilates is such a useful training system for dancers, is that it asks the dancer to do movement that is efficient and full of ease. Just as with dancing, one must condition him or herself in a way that does not create the look of strain. This is untrue in other training systems, like weight lifting, where, often, the focus is on how much weight can be lifted and power, versus the quality of the movement that is being created. Even a male dancer that has to lift his partner has to be able to do this with ease and grace. This means that the power he has in his body must be gained using technique that is, simultaneously, coordinated, rhythmic and expressive. For a dancer, having power exclusive of these other factors is meaningless.

Scott Trumbo and Cate Powers of Bouand DanceCompany

Consider this same concept for other athletes, and the same is true. The greatest basketball players, golfers, skaters, swimmers and runners, all share this same quality. Their movement looks utterly effortless, coordinated and beautiful when done well. Granted Michael Jordan isn’t paying attention to the same kinds of details on the basketball court that Mikhail Baryshnikov is paying attention to in a ballet, but I would bet that the level of concentration, attention to detail and skill is equivalent. If a dancer is unable to execute his or her pirouettes well, he or she is going to think about changing any number of things to correct the problem. Perhaps the way he or she is taking his foot of the floor is effecting the direction of the turn, the dancer will have to consider this change and then work to integrate it into the mechanics of the turn until it becomes natural to do. The same way that a basketball player may need to alter the timing of his throw or how he or she releases the ball from his hands in order to consistently throw the ball in an accurate direction.

What I realize as a pilates teacher is that the idea of training your body to be able to do things with precision and ease is a skill that everyone can use. I believe, human beings were designed to use their body that way. In a pilates class, I ask my students to do the same thing I would ask of myself as a dancer: to pay attention to the quality of the movement, the rhythm, dynamic and genesis of it.

With this point of view, an exercise like “Footwork” on the reformer becomes quite demanding. A student not only has to think about the placement of his or her feet, but the timing of the movement, the alignment of the knees while they bend and straighten, the position of their back and the recruitment pattern and quality of the muscles that are at work to either stabilize some parts of the body or create effortless, coordinated movement with others. Finally, can all these things be integrated so that the movement is done as efficiently and easily as possible.

Pilates, for me, will always be a remarkable conditioning method, because it conditions me like a dancer. It incorporates all the subtle distinctions of training my body as an artist that must take care with the placement of my hands, feet, eyes and head while incorporating the power and control of an athlete that must jump, turn and have fluid, exquisite control.

Creating the 12 Days of Pilates Video!

Much thanks to all our Pilates Angels that helped us with the production of this video project. They all came in (or stayed) late last Friday night until 8:30pm learning the choreography and the music. What a crazy and fun project; I hope everyone enjoyed themselves!

A special thanks to everyone who helped:

Choreography by Leslie Braverman
Music production by Carri Bugbee
Lyrics by Leslie Braverman, Carri Bugbee, Melanie Byford-Young and Jean Leavenworth
Videography by Ash Leavenworth
Social Coordinator and champagne provider: Melanie Byford-Young
Morale Booster and Cheat Sheet Designer: Patricia Broome
12 Pilates Elves/the talent (in Teaser order)-
Lynda Schnarr
Kay Stepp
Daphna Kadim
Cheryl Ramette
Virginia Henry
Jill Prevender
Jerai Laird
Sue Thornburg
Kate Manning
Jean Leavenworth
Tracey Hutzenbiler
Lisa Mathews

Special Guest Appearance by Seemore the Santa Skeleton

YOU TOO CAN DO THE 12 DAYS OF PILATES WORKOUT!!

Come and celebrate the end of 2008, and welcome in the new year!
Join us for a FREE, FUN workout followed by champagne and treats.
Learn Pacific NW Pilates’ 12 Days of Pilates Workout! You will receive a special prize for attending, so bring your friends!

The workout is appropriate for any fitness level and is great way to get ready for a happy and healthy new year.

Date: December 31, 2008
Time: 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Pacific NW Pilates
Sign up online or call us at 503-292-4409

STOTT PILATES® Intensive Reformer in Sun Valley

I just got back from a lovely two weeks in Hailey, ID teaching a STOTT PILATES® Intensive Reformer course at Lisa Jenner’s Pilates Studio. I drove to Idaho from Portland with my two dogs and my camping gear, and while it was a long drive, I am so glad I decided to camp. Not only did my dogs have a great time, but I got to discover just how beautiful the wilderness is around Hailey and Sun Valley. Here are a few photos of my time in Idaho.

Moon setting over Deer Creek Valley.

Cody and Jake explore the terrain.

Working on knee stretches in Sun Valley.

Relaxing at the end of the course.

Lisa has a beautiful studio in Hailey in the Gateway Building. It was fun working in such a beautiful space with such great students too. Everyone worked really hard, but also had a lot of fun!

Osteoporosis & Pilates

This question was sent and responded to through email, but we thought others might be interested!

Hi Pacific Northwest,
This is Christi Tuck from the YMCA in Colorado Springs. I thought I would run this question by your studio since over the years we have had your instructors come out to the Springs to do our CEC’s. Anyways, I have a client that was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis of the spine and osteopenia of the hip. I have done quite a bit of research regarding safe exercises for her, however I am still not sure about backward flexion, e.g. backrowing roll-down on the reformer … I know to avoid all forward flexion and lateral flexion. Her doctor said minimal spinal rotation with no resistance would be okay. Any thoughts on the backward flexion??
Thanks for any information you can provide. Have a great holiday weekend.

Sincerely,

Christi Tuck

Answer from Leslie Braverman:

Hi Christi:

This is a great question!

The conservative approach is to omit all flexion and rotation from a client’s workout. Unfortunately, most normal people have to conduct some flexion and rotation in their daily lives, so, in my opinion, it is a good idea that they know how to do these movements appropriately and without alot of loaded compression. Practically speaking, an individual will have to do these movements but should be educated to know what is appropriate for the overall health of their bones.

The thing I try to do is to make sure that the flexion and rotation is never in a loaded position and is done minimally during a workout (i.e. with lots of exercises that include extension and neutral spine spaced between.) Loaded flexion includes ANY inverted work. I would make certain never to do any roll over, short spine type of exercises. Especially because the thoracic spine can fracture easily, you want to make very sure that you omit these kinds of exercises—easily done. This is, of course, something to keep in mind when working in a group setting, also, when you don’t know all the students or their history very well.

In addition, you may need to be cautious with other types of loaded rotation or flexion that uses alot of spring tension or sends a great amount of loaded compression through the spine (I would be careful with things like stomach massage and elephant in a round back position). Also, exercises that combine flexion and rotation in one should, generally, be omitted (i.e. saw, stomach massage with twist etc.)

Do your best to keep your client working in neutral positions as much as possible. As an important aside, loading the bones in other ways would be great and makes Pilates a safe and effective tool for bone building! (i.e. footwork, jumping on the STOTT PILATES® jumpboard, armwork with the spine in a neutral position) all of these types of exercises are going to help your client to build bone without stressing one particular area of the spine too much. Good for you…. being a smart and inquisitive instructor!

I also hope that Melanie and Jean will put in their two (or three) cents!

I hope you are well…all my best to everyone in Colorado Springs.

Leslie

Reply from Christi:

Hi Leslie,
Thank you so much for your quick reply. Your information was invaluable and it also helped confirm the changes I have made to her workout. We had a private session on Friday with omitting the exercises you have mentioned with a main focus on staying neutral. She attended my reformer class yesterday so I was able to ask her how her body responded with the changes we made and I am pleased to say she felt great. Fortunately, she has been doing pilates for a while so her mind/body focus is wonderful. I am happy to hear that you think the jumpboard is a good option because she enjoys it. Thanks again for all your information.

Sincerely,

Christi Tuck

STOTT PILATES® Teacher Training in Korea

I arrived in South Korea on Friday April 25th, and jumped into teaching the STOTT PILATES Intensive Cadillac, Chair and Barrel course the next day. Of course, I was still jet lagged, not to mention stiff as a board after sitting in a plane for 16 hours, but since I had woken up at 4 am, I had plenty of time to stretch out! I was staying in a hotel for that first night as the “guesthouse” was still occupied by the Instructor Trainer from Toronto, Karen Sullivan. I was lucky to find that my hotel room included a large whirlpool tub which definitely helped un-kink my spine!

I got to meet Karen briefly and we went over to the pilates studio to assess a student who was having some re-occurring injuries from an auto accident a few years ago. We did some basic stabilization exercises with her and determined that she could take the course if she sat out and observed the more challenging exercises. I met Min, my translator, and started teaching the 12 students in the ICCB course. Learning names is always one of the challenges of meeting a large group for the first time and becomes even more difficult when the names are not familiar to you. Trying to remember who Ji-Sun was and getting her mixed up with Ji-Eun or Eun Jung was one of the difficulties that first week!

Teaching with a translator is also very challenging as you need to get through all the material in the set amount of time, but everything you say takes twice as long since it needs to be translated. This is the 5th course I have taught with a translator and Min has been doing a very good job. The group is doing great too and we got through all of the STOTT PILATES Cadillac section of the course with plenty of time for some practice teaching. I took a very artistic video of the student’s practice teaching, but somehow I was only on preview mode, not record mode, so a photograph will have to do…

They were all very hard workers, but also had a good sense of humor. When we took our lunch break, the studio always provided a lunch for all the students. It was usually a roll of gimbap, which is like a Korean sushi filled with vegetables, egg and ham. Today’s lunch was rice cakes in a spicy chile sauce.

I finished the ICCB course on May 4th and then we jumped right into the Advanced Repertoire and finished with the STOTT PILATES Injuries and Special Populations Course by the end of May. Some of these students had already taken the IMP and IR courses before I arrived, so they literally were in intensive pilates training for over three months!

Ji-Eun doing a great handstand!

That is a lot of information to take in especially when the manuals are written in english. Most Koreans have at least some english skills, but I’m sure it is still challenging for most of them to read the training manuals, especially the Injuries and Special Populations manual! Here we all are at the end of the ISP course ready to go out for a little wild Korean karaoke!

Last day of ISP course

Everyone was so sweet to me during all the courses and really made me feel welcome in their beautiful country. I hope to go back one day…

Flat abs without back pain

This question was sent and responded to through email, but we thought others might be interested!

Melanie:

What are some good ab exercises that I can do without hurting my back? Do you have research to support these ideas?

Hello,

The most beneficial way to strengthen your abs, flatten your stomach and not hurt your back is to do abdominal exercises that encourage proper recruitment of the spinal and pelvis stabilizing muscles: the pelvic floor and transversus abdominis muscles. To do this, you need to understand how to “recruit” these muscles (in lieu of using other muscles, which is common) and how to tell if they are staying “on” (instead of using those other muscles) while you complete abdominal exercises.
The transversus abdominis is the deepest layer of abdominals. It does not, by design, create movement. Instead, it creates stability for the spine and flattens the abdominals. It is important to make sure that while exercising the transversus abdominis, it is pulling in and flattening sideways (the fibers run horizontally around the trunk like a corset).
These muscles work best when the pelvis and lumbar spine are placed with the natural curve in the lumbar spine (i.e. when the back is not flattened into the mat) and the back muscles are not gripping.

There are several basic exercises one can practice to find the pelvic floor muscles. Since the pelvic floor muscles attach to the underneath side of the pelvis (these are the same muscles that control urination) they are felt easiest by sitting on a ball and gently bouncing up and down or by folding up a small wash cloth and sitting on it. These devices give some feedback for the individual.

To strengthen these muscles, gently connect these muscles by thinking of lifting them upward slightly. (It should feel like the same muscles that work to keep you from urninating.) It is important to be able to gently lift them for a count of 5, hold them on for a count of 5 and release them for a count of 5. They should not be working at 100% but closer to a 25% level.

Transversus should become active just prior to incorporating other muscles. When the transversus abdominis is recruited properly, you see a flattening or drawing in of the lower abdomen without any noticeable movement of the spine or hips.
To get the look of a flat, strong abdomen, you need a variety of different exercises in your routine. Some include:
1) Challenging the spine in neutral (plank, head and shoulders on the ground) ensuring the spine remains as it starts throughout the exercise
a. Toe taps
b. Dead bug series
c. Scissors with head down
d. One leg circle
e. Push ups
f. Leg pull front
2) Flexion routine- ensure that lower abdominals are set prior to and throughout the motion
a. Roll up
b. Obliques with single leg stretch
3) Extension based exercises- keep abdominals lifting up
a. Swan dive
b. Swimming
More info about the transversus abdominis:
1) acts as a corset, drawing in circumferentially as it protects the spine
2) stabilizer of the lumbar spine by virtue of:
- insertion into the thoraco-lumbar fascia, which inserts into the vertebrae,
- its neurological firing pattern (fires before movement begins so that the spine is protected and prepared
- coordinated work with the other stabilizers including the pelvic floor muscles, diaphragm, deep psoas, and multifidus
3) creates motion around the proper axis of motion, and prevents unwanted shearing or translation of the vertebra which can lead to irritation and degeneration of the discs and facet joints
4) provides compression (in a good way) so that the larger muscles have a stable base to pull from
REFERENCES:
1. Lee, Diane: The pelvic Girdle, Third Ed. Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone, 2004
2. Richardson C, Hodges P, Hides J: Therapeutic Exercise For Lumbopelvic Stabilization: Motor Control Approach to the Treatment and Prevention of Low Back Pain, 2nd edition, Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone, 2004
3. Vleeming A et al: Movement, Stability and Low Back Pain- The Essential Role of the Pelvis 2nd edition, at press, 2006
Articles
3. Lee, Diane (1998) Stress Urinary Incontinence: A consequence of Failed Load Transfer Through the Pelvis? Proceedings from the Third Interdisciplinary World Congress on low Back and Pelvic Pain. Vienna, Austria www.dianelee.ca <http://www.dianelee.ca>
4. Lee, Diane (2005) Recent Advances in the Assessment and Treatment of the Sacroiliac Joint- Stability & the Role of Motor Control. www.dianelee.ca <http://www.dianelee.ca>
5. Richardson C A, Snijders C J, Hides J A, Pas M S (2002) The Relationship between the Transversely Oriented Abdominal Muscles, SIJ Mechanics and Low Back Pain. Spine 27(4): 399-405
7. Vleeming,A Stoeckart, R, Volkers A C W, Snijders CJ (1990a) Relation between Form and Function in the Sacroiliac Joint, 1: Clinical Anatomical Aspects. Spine 15(2): 130-132
8. Vleeming,A Stoeckart, R, Volkers A C W, Snijders CJ (1990b) Relation between Form and Function in the Sacroiliac Joint, 2:Biomechanical Aspects. Spine 15(2): 133-136

Scoliosis and scapula

My name is Brigitte and I’m a certified STOTT PILATES instructor and massage therapist in Montreal. I have watched you over many hours while editing the rehab DVD series that you did (I edit from English to French). I find you very knowledgeable, inspiring and motivating and if I could, would love to just spend a few months with you to learn even more (something that right now is not possible but who knows what the future holds!). I’m writing to you because I’d like to have your opinion on someone I’m working with. I realize that you cannot make any diagnosis or give me the absolute answer regarding this client, however perhaps you could shed some light.

I’ve been working with a woman for over a year now, she has spondilolithesis (so she’s obviously quite kyphotic in thoracic and hyperextended in cervical), fused lumbar, with a slight scoliosis, winging right scapula. She has a lot less stability in right shoulder and scapula. I have been focusing on spinal extension and scapular stabilization. I also work her in seated, kneeling and standing positions to encourage recruitment of the spinal and pelvic stabilizers in a neutral position. My one issue that I have is this terribly winging right scapula. I make her do lots of rotator cuff work, I also do lots of protractions against resistance to work her serratus anterior. I work on the cadillac, doing mid, lower and upper trap work, often unilaterally. The upper fibers of her rhomboids and mid traps seem to be firing well. However her mid to lower area of her scapula is always winging at a certain degree, usually when her elbows are bent (ex: when they’re bent and at elbow height, or while side-lying and doing ext. rotations with ball – although this has improved greatly). I make her do certain things and think, wow, her scapula is flush and moving smoothly. Then I make her do something else and it totally pops right off. I’ve been trying to help by placing her against a wall, with elbows bent at 90 degrees, in line with her shoulders. I then get her to do external rotations, bringing her forearms to the wall. She has a much smaller range with her right side and sometimes cringes while attempting this (she has improved but still not to full range).

Is there anything else I could do, it’s just boggling my mind and I really want to help this woman. I know I already have but I’m stumped. I started to think that she has quite a few active trigger points which may be preventing her from getting that full range. Either way, anything insight you could give would be much appreciated. I hope to one day attend one of your workshops, perhaps when you’re a little closer to Montreal!

Thanks so much and have a great day!

Sincerely,
Brigitte

From Brigitte to Pacific NW Pilates