Now is the Time – Integrate Pilates into Health Care

Polestar educator and affiliate Kate Strozak BS, NCPT, LMT discusses the benefits of supporting the integration of Pilates with the current healthcare system.

Changes in health care has been a topic of conversation for as long as many of us can recall. Specifically with the more recent changes in medical reimbursement, health care providers face increased challenges in making ends meet. What many physical therapy clinics and rehabilitation centers have realized is that by integrating Pilates into their practices that it not only serves their patient populations for the better but it also helps to generate cash revenue to help off-set the reductions in insurance reimbursement for their health care service. This revenue generation occurs when Pilates is offered as an in-house service to their patient population.

There are many models of Pilates integrated into health care settings but there are key factors that are of utmost importance. It is paramount to have instructors who can meet the needs of a very diverse clientele in terms of their conditions, health histories, and goals. Instructors who would like to work within these models need to have above average knowledge in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and biomechanics. This demand on instructors is one of the reasons why our health care network in the Chicago area has aligned with Polestar Pilates for the educational standard of our instructors. Instructors need to be comfortable in recognizing red flags, communicating with physicians and therapists, and knowing the protocol for assessing and reassessing clients throughout their programming.

In this model, Pilates is an integral part of what we call the “continuum of care”. Once a patient has been discharged from physical therapy, there needs to be a continuation of their movement education in order to progress them further from their injury. In typical physical therapy settings, a physical therapist is often restricted in seeing a patient only to the point where their function has restored and their pain has been managed. Expanding the dynamic function and resiliency of a patient’s musculoskeletal and nervous systems can save the client from reoccurring pain or further distress.

Pilates is particularly suitable for addressing the body as a whole thereby lending dynamic, full body conditioning in addition to the restoration of optimal function and mechanics.

Once a client has transitioned to Pilates programming, the Pilates instructor communicates with their health care team in order to keep the client safe, help them progress appropriately and recognize the red flags that would warrant a referral back to their therapist. This is the continuum of care where patients benefit from Pilates integration into their health care.

To make Pilates a part of the continuum of care, it is helpful to introduce Pilates during the stages of rehabilitation under the care of a physical therapist.

If Pilates is the approach that would be most beneficial to a patient, a therapist introducing a patient to Pilates during therapy sessions is ideal. In this case, it is then necessary to have physical therapists and/or physical therapy assistants trained as Pilates instructors. The next step is to have high caliber instructors who either work for or who are contracted by the clinic to offer Pilates training to patients. To complete the cycle, it is then important for there to be open lines of communication between the health care team and instructor. Depending on the relationship that has formed, some instructors will communicate regularly with the therapist regarding the patient/client’s Pilates sessions or they will check in if they have questions or concerns. As the client finishes with their Pilates training, it is a professional curtesy to thank the therapist for the referral and give them a summary as to how far the patient progressed. Many models exist which help to integrate Pilates into health care settings and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Some ways in which this collaboration can take place can be extremely low cost and based upon referrals. Other ways include developing in house Pilates programming that in addition to benefiting patients, also helps the sustainability of the clinic. Regardless the model of choice, this approach benefits each participant in the fold: patients/clients, health care providers, and Pilates instructors.