Clinical pilates is a form of active rehabilitation, not just exercise.
While traditional pilates classes focus on general strength and fitness, Clinical Pilates is tailored to you—your injury, health history, movement patterns, and functional goals. It combines the core principles of pilates with clinical assessment and reasoning, guided by a registered healthcare professional.
- Your diagnosis and stage of healing
- How you move, compensate, and load your body
- Your daily activities, work demands, and goals
Pilates itself is a system of precise, controlled movements designed to improve core stability, body awareness, movement quality, coordination, and strength. When applied clinically, it becomes a powerful tool for restoring efficient, pain-free movement.
How Chiropractic Care and Clinical Pilates Complement Each Other
A large portion of my practice involves treating chronic neck and upper back pain, often related to prolonged desk work and computer use.
Hands-on chiropractic care—such as joint mobilization, manipulation, and soft tissue therapy—can be very effective for reducing pain and stiffness. However, manual therapy alone doesn’t always address why the pain developed in the first place.
This is where Clinical Pilates plays a key role. Through guided movement, we work on:
- Postural control and spinal awareness
- Segmental spinal movement and control
- Strengthening underused stabilizing muscles
- Reducing over-reliance on already fatigued or overworked muscles
Postural muscles naturally fatigue over an eight-hour workday. Clinical Pilates helps develop both the strength and awareness needed to recognize fatigue early and move more efficiently throughout the day.
At its core (no pun intended), Pilates emphasizes deep abdominal and trunk support to better support the spine, shoulders, and limbs—making desk work and daily activities feel more comfortable and sustainable.
What Does a Clinical Pilates Visit Look Like?
In British Columbia, therapeutic exercise falls within the scope of chiropractic care when performed as part of a treatment plan and delivered one-on-one.
Because of this, Clinical Pilates sessions follow the same professional standards as any chiropractic visit, including:
- A comprehensive health history
- Physical examination and movement assessment
- Informed consent
- Ongoing documentation and reassessment
Your visit will begin with a review of your symptoms, daily habits, work or sport demands, and goals. If appropriate, we’ll discuss how Clinical Pilates can be integrated into your overall treatment plan to support recovery, movement efficiency, and long-term resilience.
Sessions are billed as chiropractic visits. Depending on your needs, we may move between the treatment room and gym space and utilize the Pilates reformer as part of your treatment.
The Pilates reformer is a versatile rehabilitation and conditioning tool that combines adjustable resistance, body-weight support, and continuous movement feedback. Its spring-based system allows exercises to be precisely scaled—from early injury recovery to higher-level performance—while remaining gentle on the joints.
By challenging deep core and postural muscles, improving body awareness, and promoting balanced muscle activation, the reformer helps reduce strain on overworked areas, enhance spinal mobility and posture, and support a confident return to daily activities, work, or sport.
Who Can Benefit from Clinical Pilates?
Clinical Pilates can be beneficial for a wide range of individuals, including those experiencing:
- Pain, Injury, or Movement Limitations
- Neck and back pain
- Postural strain and work-related injuries
- Joint, bone, or soft tissue injuries
- Arthritis
- Spinal stiffness
- Hypermobility
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Pregnant and post-partum individuals
- Athletes seeking movement quality and efficiency
- Anyone wanting improved balance, coordination, and body awareness
Clinical Pilates is not about moving more—it’s about moving better.
When integrated into chiropractic care, it provides a structured, individualized way to build strength, control, and confidence in your body, supporting both recovery and long-term health.
