Pilates and Hip/Knee Replacements

Great article on Pilates Bridge about Pilates post knee and hip replacement. Some excerpts are posted below, or you can read the whole article HERE.

1. What unique benefits does Pilates offer after a knee/hip replacement?Katherine and Kimberly Corp, the owners of Pilates On Fifth in New York City say,

1. “Pilates restores the alignment of the body. It is an ideal forum to both ensure that the joints in question are in optimal position and to correct imbalances or faults that could exacerbate the condition that caused the problem in the first place.
2. Muscles are strengthened in the optimal alignment after surgery. Muscle fibers will form along the lines of force that they are given, meaning that if alignment is faulty while exercises are performed, the muscles will lay down new fibers in that faulty pattern. Pilates, under the watchful eye of a skilled instructor, will ensure that the alignment is optimal so the new fibers form in a way that is beneficial to the joint.
3. Core strength is a vital component for anyone recovering from any knee or hip surgery, and the Pilates protocol will automatically include core strengthening along with exercises specific to the joint.
4. With Pilates, a skilled instructor can also see and identify “coping mechanisms”: habits that might have inadvertently developed after the surgery due to an avoidance of pain and/or a need to get around and function. We will look to correct those and restore proper alignment of the whole body.”
5. “Pilates helps speed up recovery along with making sure we strengthen and lengthen the area to help with the scar tissue,” says Jessie Zamer from Sculpt Fitness Studio in Houston.

3. What muscle imbalances are most common after hip/knee surgery?One of the amazing parts of the Pilates method is that it addresses body as a whole. It doesn’t only strengthen a particular group of muscles or increases range of motion in one joint, it trains the whole body as an integrated system.

After surgery it would seem logical that only the affected side of the body needs extra attention. In reality we see that the entire body bares the consequences of surgery and any pre-surgical condition.

1. There is an overall imbalance between the right and left sides of the body that is exacerbated by the compensation mechanisms developed prior to surgery.
2. The muscles in the back of the leg are generally weakened and not actively utilized.
3. There is an overall imbalance around both the joint and the place of incision.

5. When is it safe to start a Pilates-based rehabilitation program?It is important to obtain clearance from the surgeon to start a Pilates program. Some patients can start doing Pilates just 6 weeks post-op while others need several months before they can come to the studio.

A lot of physical therapists now use Pilates equipment to further facilitate recovery of their patients. Many Pilates studios (like Pilates on Fifth in New York) also have PTs working at their facilities.

The number of physical therapy sessions covered by insurance differs from patient to patient and it has great impact on how soon a client can come back to Pilates. Pilates proves to be an effective and cost-efficient way to facilitate recovery after the initial PT sessions are over.

It is important to obtain exercise guidelines from the PT or from the surgeon before starting a Pilates program.