Pilates, Scoliosis, and Raphael Bender

Joining Hannah on the Pilates Exchange podcast is exercise physiologist and Pilates instructor, Raphael Bender. He's the owner of Breathe Education, a company that specialises in training Pilates instructors to excel in rehabilitation and anatomy, as well as helping them build their businesses; all conducted online. In today's episode, we dive into a conversation about scoliosis and Pilates, exploring where these two worlds intersect. Raphael sheds light on the intriguing aspects of scoliosis and discusses the limited availability of high-quality research on effective interventions. We highlight the fundamental importance of getting people moving in any demographic and Raphael emphasises the lack of evidence to show that any form of movement could be potentially harmful to those with scoliosis. We discuss pain, the difference between people with scoliosis who experience pain and those who don’t, and examine some of the existing literature on scoliosis. Don’t miss this informative conversation on Pilates, scoliosis, and more, including a profound and powerful reframe that movement professionals should adopt!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insight into the fascination that people in Pilates have with scoliosis. 
• The lack of good-quality research evidence for scoliosis (what helps and doesn’t help).
• Why it’s important to simply getting people moving.
• What type of scoliosis Raphael is and isn’t referring to.
• The lack of evidence showing that any form of exercise makes scoliosis worse. 
• A quick look at fusion surgery and movement. 
• Raphael’s thoughts on the default for every movement professional: movement optimism.
• A look at the biopsychosocial model of pain and Greg Lehman’s cup of resilience.
• The difference between people with scoliosis who experience pain and those who don’t. 
• Existing literature on scoliosis; the good, the bad, and the ugly.
• Addressing overthinking in the world of Pilates; simply do what you normally do!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Raphael Bender on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/the_raphaelbender 

Raphael Bender on X — https://twitter.com/raphbender 

Pilates Elephants Podcast — https://pilates-elephants.breathe-education.com/ 

Breathe Education — https://breathe-education.com/ 

Free Ebook – 100 Pilates Class Themes: https://performance-fit-online.com/100-pilates-class-themes

Free Ebook – Top Teaching Tips: https://performance-fit-online.com/top-teaching-tips

Free Creativity Masterclass: https://mailchi.mp/pilates-studio-nuernberg/creativity-masterclass

Train the Trainers: https://www.pilates-studio-nuernberg.com/train-the-trainers/

Connect with Us: hannah@pilates-studio-nuernberg.com 

Performance Fit Pilates: https://www.pilates-studio-nuernberg.com 

Performance Fit Pilates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/performance_fit_pilates

Performance Fit Pilates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerformanceFitPilates 

Hannah Teutscher on LinkedIn: