Philippa Mains’ Return to Peak Equestrian Performance After Vertebral Fracture – A Poseidon Performance Case Study
Philippa Mains, an international equestrian and Olympic hopeful in 3-day eventing, faced a critical setback when she fractured a vertebra. A seasoned competitor with ambitions of representing her country at the highest level, Philippa’s career trajectory seemed uncertain after the injury. This complex situation required a comprehensive approach, focusing on rehabilitation, fitness, weight management, and mental resilience to return to peak performance.
Chronic Back Pain to Strength: How Laurence Beuker Became Pain-Free and Deadlifted Her Bodyweight
Laurence Beuker, originally from Belgium, is a mother of three who endured over three years of debilitating chronic back pain. Her condition had progressed to the point where she could barely walk without significant discomfort, limiting her ability to engage in everyday activities and, most importantly, be fully present for her children.
The Truth About Pilates
Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1883. He appears to have been a frail child suffering from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. In 1912 while working as an orderly in a hospital on the Isle of Man he started to help the patients who were unable to walk by attaching bed springs to the beds to help support the patients' limbs.
In the early 1920s Joseph Pilates emigrated to the USA with his wife Clara, and together they developed and taught the method in their 'body-conditioning gym' in New York in 1926. By the late 30s, New York City had become a mecca for dancers. During this era, Pilates developed a reputation for his ability to “fix” dancers’ injuries. Many dancers, including luminaries such as George Balanchine, Martha Graham, and Hanya Holm, studied with “Uncle Joe” and referred injured colleagues to him.
Back to Basics
Before we look at each of the recommended core stability exercises, it’s important to understand the difference between flexibility and mobility!
Flexibility is the ability of a muscle or muscle groups to lengthen passively through a range of motion
Mobility is the ability of a joint to move actively through a range of motion
It should be a priority to address any significant mobility restrictions at the hip and thoracic spine. If mobility in either of these areas is restricted it can lead to movement compensations at the low back. If hip mobility is limited during the squat the pelvis can be pulled under creating posterior pelvic tilt as the lumber spine will have to compensate for the lack of mobility at the hips. This will place flexion under load on the Lumber spine which will place excessive stress on the discs.
If you only performed isometric core stability work but neglect significant mobility restrictions in the joints above or below the lumbar spine, the core stiffness you created will be compromised.
