Studies have shown that Pilates can have a major effect on chronic pain. Photo / 123rf
Studies have shown that Pilates can have a major effect on chronic pain. Photo / 123rf
After experiencing a life-changing injury, it appeared that I was set for a life of constant suffering – until I changed my fitness regimen
When I was 17, I was driving down a country lane when a car hit me head-on: a life-changing moment, mentally and physically. Luckily,nothing was broken, but my pelvis had been twisted from the impact and I had pain all the way up my spine and in my neck. I was sent home from hospital with tramadol painkillers and a neck brace, and told to rest.
The following weeks were really challenging, no matter how positive I tried to be. I couldn’t sleep, waking throughout the night to deal with the pain, which made anxiety set in: it was like I was in constant fight-or-flight mode. The medication I was taking was so strong it made my energy levels incredibly low.
I was in a downward spiral – not helped by the fact that this was just before my A-levels, and I was missing all my friends’ 18th birthdays, further adding to my anxiety. My mum was amazing and used to try to cheer me up by making me my favourite foods to help me regain my strength, but my appetite was completely gone; within about a month, I had lost a stone (6.4kg).
I was told by all the medical professionals I saw to avoid any unnecessary movement, but that just led my joints to seize up, making the back and neck pain worse. When I explained this to my doctor after three months of discomfort, he suggested rehabilitative movement, which is when I discovered Pilates – which I’d never heard of before. He said that doing the classical form of the exercise would help to strengthen my core, support my back and relieve me of my pain.
Pilates helps with chronic pain by focusing on mobility, core strength, and posture. Photo / 123rf
But this was West Sussex 14 years ago, and Pilates was still very much under the radar. Instead of going to a studio, I went to the hospital twice a week to be guided through strengthening exercises by a physiotherapist. For the first few weeks, I didn’t notice much change, but then a rapid improvement came, so I stuck with it. The pain went away, and I was ecstatic: I thought I had been “healed”, so I then stopped going.
Soon after, though, I experienced flare-ups, assuming that this was just par for the course after a crash, and that I would have to manage chronic pain for the rest of my life. I would feel discomfort doing the most basic things: walking down the street, standing and sitting for long periods. I would cry on my commute home because the pain was so bad. The only thing that seemed to soothe it slightly was a hot bath and painkillers.
I then went to see a rehab specialist, and he changed my entire path. Instead of just prescribing me more pills, he pushed the idea of movement as medicine, and I started to understand how key it was to keep mobile and consistent to keep the pain at bay.
I was later diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease which causes inflammation of the joints and pain), which meant even the smallest tasks could be challenging. I was living in Switzerland at the time, and the cold would mean my hands would swell to double the size; I couldn’t tie my hair, or pull a light cord. I was advised to have expensive monthly pain injections, but this time I wanted to try more natural methods of making myself feel better.
I was in my late 20s then, and started introducing Pilates into my weekly fitness regimen – anything to try to get on top of the painful flare-ups. After hearing a podcast that challenged listeners to devise their perfect morning routines, I thought about my own, and decided to start including daily visits to an infra-red sauna, followed by a cold shower. I’d tried both before and found them helpful, but the two combined four to five times a week really seemed to work, soothing my joints.
Studies have shown that Pilates has a major effect on chronic pain, including in a paper published last year in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, which found that participants who practised an average of three times a week for seven weeks experienced “the relief of pain and improvement of functional disability”.
Studies have shown that Pilates has a major effect on chronic pain. Photo / 123rf
When you’re on the mat, you can’t think about anything else; you’re really tuning into your body. I feel as though I’ve found my place in the world, which is pretty unbelievable when you consider that you can do it in your front room in your pyjamas.
The UK is going through a health crisis at the moment, with 2.8 million adults unable to work because of chronic pain. I know how daunting it is to imagine going to a gym when your body is feeling fragile, but even if you commit to just 15 minutes a day, it makes such a difference.
I wouldn’t have believed five years ago that I would feel in control of my symptoms. Changing my approach to exercise, being disciplined and consistent, has left me healthier, stronger and happier than ever.
As told to Charlotte Lytton
The five-step morning routine that changed my pain for good
6am: I’ll write down my feelings ahead of the day, and do some meditation. Not everyone is a morning person, but I make sure that my day begins early, with quiet time.
6.45am: Walk for around an hour to get some natural light.
7.45am: Eat breakfast, usually a protein shake. I never miss a meal, and make sure I have three, along with two snacks, every day, usually combining protein, fats and carbohydrates in each.
8am: Teach a class online, or do a strength-training workout. I do four Pilates sessions a week, and go to the gym twice. With both, I’m really focused on form: it’s far better to do less but well, rather than putting yourself into awkward positions.
8.30am: Sit in an infra-red sauna for 20 minutes (I usually do this at the gym), followed by a three-minute cold shower.
