Services
Pilates Conditioning
At Center for Balance, Pilates – a form of conditioning that has helped millions around the world to improve their fitness – is designed to be fun yet challenging. Because each session is tailored to the individual client, exercises are safe, strong, and specific for all ages and fitness levels. Pilates at Center for Balance will help you achieve optimal fitness, and/or eliminate pain, improve posture, and flexibility – and you’ll have a great time doing it.
Balanced Body clinical Pilates machines, as well as resistance cords, physioballs, balance boards, and various ancillary equipment, will provide you with all you need to achieve your goals.
Pilates sessions can be combined with bodywork or switched, one for the other, if the need arises. This is especially useful if a client is dealing with an injury or chronic condition that calls for some manual therapy during a particular Pilates session or over the course of a series.
“My original reason for training in Pilates was to improve outcomes for clients who were seeing me for bodywork. Pilates was the missing piece, improving strength, flexibility, and balance.”
In Pilates the appropriate exercises depend on your goals, fitness level, and history of injuries, as well as the functional activities or sports you’re targeting. If injury has made it necessary for you to limit activity, there are a variety of exercises to address the problem and get you back to doing what you love. At Center for Balance, all exercises are analyzed in terms of biomechanical suitability for the individual client.
Structural Bodywork
Structural Bodywork is great for relief of sore, tight muscles, fascial restrictions, sports injuries, improvement of posture through proper realignment, or simply relaxation. Offering more than basic massage, the choice of techniques depends on the condition at hand.
For optimal results, careful assessment by an experienced practitioner helps determine the specific areas to be worked on and which bodywork techniques are appropriate for the client’s needs.
What is Structural Bodywork?
Structural Bodywork is deep tissue bodywork designed to realign the body and release acute or chronic pain, tension and stress. It also is effective in the treatment of injuries related to sports, repetitive stress, or accidents. It is a combination of various bodywork and movement systems developed or synthesized by Bill Carey.
What are some of the conditions that can be treated with Structural Bodywork?
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Shoulder, Neck or Back Pain
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Tendonitis
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Nerve Entrapments
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Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
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Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
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Piriformis Syndrome
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Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
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Knee Problems
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Illiotibial Band Syndrome
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Shin Splints
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Plantar Fasciitis
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Limited Range of Motion
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Headaches
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Pain Due To Arthritis
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Faulty Neuromuscular Patterns
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Postural Misalignments
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Post Surgery Pain Relief
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Post-Surgery Scar And Adhesion Prevention
How Does Structural Bodywork Work?
Structural Bodywork stretches and repositions the connective tissues, such as the fascia, tendons, ligaments, and muscles, utilizing stretches, neuromuscular techniques, deep tissue techniques, and very specific exercises, to re-align the body’s innate structure and balance.
What are the Benefits of Structural Bodywork?
Structural Bodywork can relieve, reduce or eliminate chronic and acute pain and restore correct alignment so that the joints can interface properly. The goal of Structural Bodywork is to re-establish and maintain health and wellness.
Ergonomics Assessment
Addressing recurring or chronic conditions can seem like a puzzle – the missing piece may sometimes be found in the ergonomics, and/or faulty gait patterns, of the individual.
At Center for Balance, the appropriate support (ergonomics) of the body is analyzed in relation to work, rest, and play. Any or all of these components could be causing or indirectly contributing to a seemingly unsolvable, intractable condition.
For example, if you have a sore back because your spine is misaligned in an ill-fitting office chair or bed for eight hours every day, no matter how much treatment you receive, the problem will reoccur. If your tennis serve or golf swing is off and you don’t adjust it to something that works for your particular biomechanics, the injury will persist.
If the ergonomic source of the problem is not addressed, other treatment is essentially bailing a leaking boat. Luckily, with a little insight and small corrections, such problems are easily resolved.
Injury Rehabilitation and Prevention
For injury rehabilitation or prevention, Center for Balance offers Pilates, Structural Bodywork and Postural and Gait Analysis and Ergonomic Assessment– alone or in combination. All aspects of the injury are considered to ameliorate the problem and prevent its recurrence.
In the acute phase of an injury, Structural Bodywork is usually the best approach to relieve and eliminate pain and discomfort. After the initial assessment & treatment, exercises and stretches might be recommended and modified according to the situation. ally in combination with suggestions in terms of ergonomics and biomechanics. After the condition has stabilized, appropriate exercises are added, both for the studio and home.
Postural & Gait Analysis
Gait analysis – examining the way a person walks – is important in identifying both structural and functional anomolies that can become problematic if not corrected. Gait can also reveal hidden clues to pain or discomfort in seemingly unrelated areas of the body. Through gait analysis at Center for Balance, clients receive suggestions for simple changes to their stride and carriage that can make a profound difference in their comfort; if desired, custom exercises and/or bodywork are provided to help break old habits to move in a healthy way.