Can You Overcome Back Pain In Under 3 Months?

When you are dealing with chronic back pain if you are like the majority of my Pilates clients, you want to overcome your pain in the shortest time possible. Why prolong the pain if you don't have to? The good news is that is entirely possible to overcome your pain in 3 months or less and I've helped hundreds of people to do this over the past 20 years.  It depends however on several factors such as the cause of your pain, how consistently you practice, your postural habits, and your willingness to make positive changes in your life.

Val's Story

If you have read my book MOVE FREE FROM PAIN you will be familiar with Val's inspiring journey out of back pain in 4 weeks.  At 57, she was relying on twice daily doses of ibuprofen to get through her day.  She knew this wasn't sustainable long term and she was determined to overcome her pain through Pilates as quickly as possible which she did. After practicing Pilates daily for 28 straight days she was overjoyed to be pain-free and no longer dependent on medication to get through each day. Pilates is non-competitive and while some clients like Val overcome their pain quickly, most are pain-free around the 3 month mark while others can take even longer to achieve their goals. So many variables are at play for each individual. Still, the 3-month mark is when the majority will become pain-free or experience a significant reduction in their pain levels as they continue working towards pain-free living.

Melanie's Story

When Melanie began experiencing back pain and tingling in her foot she went to her GP for answers. She was diagnosed with a lumbar disc bulge which was compressing a spinal nerve and advised to strengthen with Pilates. Melanie's progress has been steady and she is more than happy about where she is right now.  After 5 months of Pilates, Melanie is still experiencing some minor back pain flare-ups but no longer has any symptoms of nerve compression as the tingling feeling in her foot has gone.  Melanie has limited time to practice Pilates as she is caring for her husband who was injured in a car accident, She has a 30-minute 1 on 1 virtual session with me each week and then usually manages to fit in 2 additional sessions using my on-demand video library of around 10 minutes each if time permits. Melanie is still improving each week and I estimate in another 4 - 6 weeks her pain will be under control.  She is overjoyed at the progress she has made and looking forward to a pain-free future

What You Can Do to Speed Up Recovery

Practice Pilates consistently, daily if possible to fast track your results. While this was possible for Val, it was not possible for Vanessa. Be realistic about what you can fit into your schedule. It's better to be consistent with 2 sessions of Pilates per week than aiming for 7 sessions and not doing any. Don't beat yourself up if you miss a session or if life gets in the way.  Do what is realistic for you. If it takes you a little longer, that's fine. You will get there!
As you build your core strength and make postural changes, start developing body awareness and take your Pilates principles and breathing into everyday life. It's this awareness that allows you to change the movement patterns that are no longer serving you and establish new ones which will ultimately lead to pain-free living.  Avoid painful movements: Pilates should not cause pain and I always encourage my clients to work in a pain-free range. This means listening to your body and not pushing through pain, but rather gently coaxing your body into doing what you would like it to do
Seek professional guidance: A tailored program from an experienced teacher (like me!) will ensure you're doing the right exercises for your specific issue.
Lastly, celebrate your progress along the way. Your journey out of pain is just that - a journey, not a destination. Celebrate every improvement and every reduction in your pain levels. The more you acknowledge these changes the more you will reinforce positive change.

If you are ready to make positive changes in your life to overcome pain email me at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can start 1 on 1 virtual Pilates sessions with me by signing up HERE and we can schedule an appointment time. If you want to work independently join my online Pilates program of on-demand videos which I specifically designed to help you recover from pain or injury  It would be my pleasure to assist you in overcoming your back pain in a timeframe that suits you!