Pilates strengthens San Diego Sports Medicine’s program

Dave and Doreen Hall have been instrumental in making Pilates a part of the physical therapy program at San Diego Sports Medicine and Family Health Center (SDSM) in Sorrento Valley. For 15 years, the Halls have found incredible success with their Pilates People physical therapy patients and they are excited that the larger clinic at SDSM gives them more exposure and the ability to help heal more people.

San Diego Sports Medicine was founded in 1980, with care focused not only on the treatment of injuries but individualized patient education and lifestyle improvements to attain “optimal health and wellness.” Over the years, the center’s physicians have worked with athletes from the U.S. Olympic Training Center, San Diego State University, Grossmont College, U.S. National Men’s and Women’s Rugby teams, Canyon Crest Academy, Cathedral Catholic, Santa Fe Christian, Bishop’s and Torrey Pines High School, just to name a few.

The Halls owned Pilates People, which for 10 years was a fixture in Torrey Hills Center before moving to Sorrento Valley. Their company was acquired by SDSM in May 2016 and they moved their entire operation into SDSM’s facility, which is three to four times bigger than where they were.

“We have had a physical therapy program for many years and always like to stay current and keep up with the most effective techniques,” said Dr. Jeff Anthony, partner at San Diego Sports Medicine and Family Health Center. “We wanted to make a change in our program and looked into Pilates as a viable adjunct to our service. We brought in Dave and Doreen, who not only do physical therapy, but also have a wealth of experience in Pilates.”

Doreen is now the director of physical therapy and Dave serves as the director of Pilates and wellness.

An underutilized area at the center was revamped into a Pilates studio complete with reformers, chairs and barrels.

“It’s an interesting clientele and that made us really excited about the move,” Dave said about the opportunity to work with high school, college and Olympic athletes. “They bring in a lot of young athletes and it has allowed us to tap into that group. We now offer services like high-level fitness training, injury rehabilitation and ‘heal your back’ classes for people with chronic back issues.”

SDSM offers Pilates-based physical therapy for any orthopedic injury. Doreen said Pilates lends itself well to rehabilitation as the exercises are inherently therapeutic, they incorporate so many parts of the body and the movements are easily modified for different levels of abilities.

“It turns physical therapy into a whole body approach,” Doreen said, noting they work to correct underlying causes of injuries to create better outcomes.

“Physical Therapy and Pilates are a natural fit to help patients improve range of motion, strength and function while recovering from injury or during post-operative surgery recovery,” said Dr. Allen Richburg, San Diego Sports Medicine’s director of athletic medicine. “I have had many patients give compliments about the help they have gained from the combination of physical therapy and Pilates.”

Anthony said he has heard comments especially from patients with lower back pain, who have been able to return to activities with “a renewed vigor.”

“Many patients, after finishing the prescribed therapy program continue to do Pilates on their own as health maintenance and prevention,” Anthony said. “I look forward to continued success with the utilization of Pilates.”

As Anthony noted, there is a full schedule of Pilates classes offered in the studio throughout the week, more information is available at pilatespeople.com/physical-therapy.

San Diego Sports Medicine and Family Health Center is located at 4010 Sorrento Valley Blvd, suite 300, San Diego, 92121. For more information, call (858) 793-7860 or visit sdsm.com.

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