Imprint to reduce lower back pain

As a highly respected expert in the Pilates field I am often asked by novice teachers and new clients "why do I need to imprint my spine?". The answer is simple and two-fold: Safety and Effectiveness. Let me explain.
In Pilates we need to activate the deep muscles of the abdomen and pelvis often referred to as the "powerhouse" or "girdle of strength" and representative of part of the core. Yet at the same time we must try depserately NOT to activate the superficial muscles of the abs (rectus abdominus) or lower back (erector spinae). This, as anyone who has tried to turn off these dominant muscles will tell you,  is not an easy feat. This is partly due to the fact muscles only know how to do one thing: CONTRACT. They cannot turn off. They only release their tension when the opposite or antagonistic muscle turns on. Think about what this means for an area of the body that is perpetually tight and sore such as the lower back. These muscles are in a state of perpetual tension creating, at best, annoying aches and at worst, severe pain. All manner of stretches and massages will help but only to a certain point because these treatments are passive and once the stretch or massge is removed the muscles will go back to their perpetually tight resting state. In order to effect permanent relief and permanent "stretch" for these tight muscles we must recruit the opposing muscle groups and teach them to "take over" some of the tasks of the tight lower back muscles. In other words engage the abs so that the lower back can take a break. Its really that simple. Strengthen one set of muscles so that the opposite set can release their tension. It is simple to say and in theory simple to do. Many will say "do crunches to strengthen your abs and your back will feel better". Or "work your core and reduce your back pain". Sorry but if it were that simple, nobody would be stricken with back pain. Pilates IS the solution but it MUST be done with an imprinted spine and NOT neutral. The pelvic floor and deep abdominal musles must be engaged in order to allow the spine to flatten into the mat, without jamming the back down and without engaging the hip flexors, glutes or legs. This takes some practice but it is well worth the effort. With time what happens is: the back muscles learn that its ok to let go because the abs are getting strong enough to hold the spine in position. The abs get strong enough to not only pull in and scoop but also to help with bending and spinal stabilzation. So over time, every movement and static strength requirement of the lumbo-pelvic regin will come mostly from the abs and pelvic floor muslces with assistance from the erector spinae, rather than the lumbar muscles doing everything and not even letting up enough for the abs to help out (therefore causing overworked and sore lower back muscles). Can you begin to see why an imprint is so important to spine health in the early months of learning Pilates? With the spine imprinted there is not only the switch of muscle work from the lower back to the abs and pelvic floor but there is also tactile feedback that the Pilates novice needs to perfect her skills. When the back is touching the mat it is quite simple to tell when something goes wrong and/or muscles turn off that should be turned on because you will feel the loss of connection with the mat under the lumbar spine. Now trust me, we are not looking for the back to be pressed down into the mat to the point where indentations of the spinal protuberances would occur. Far from it. We are simply allowing our spine to rest on the mat because our transverse abs and pelvic floor muscles have engaged enough to allow the erector spinae to release allowing the lumbar spine down to the mat. In fact, if someone "jams" their back into the mat the opposite happens; the back gets tighter by way of the hip flexors and psoas muscles kicking in. I have seen the "imrpint" taught incorrectly many times and perhaps that is why the opponents to it are adament that a neutral spine is better. BUT.... even done incorrectly the imprint is safer on the lower back than neutral done correctly. I cant even count the number of times clients have come to me with complaints of their lower back hurting after a Pilates class because they were told to keep some "space under the low back" or maintai a neutral pelvis.
All is say to them is this:
1. Joseph Pilates worked with a flat, imprinted back - so why change it?
2. Neutral spine/pelvis is hard to find and even harder to maintain for a beginner - imprinting is easier
3. Neutral actually hurts the person whose lower back is chronically sore & tight -  so imprint to lengthen the back muscles thereby reducing pain
4. A beginner needs to focus on strenthening their abs and pelvic floor and cannot do so in neutral - working in an imprint helps to activate the abdominal muscles and speeds up the learning curve.
Imprinting is the ONLY way to learn Pilates and one of the best ways to reduce lower back pain becasue it is SAFE and EFFECTIVE.

To learn more about imprinting take a PIA Pilates course at http://www.piaworkshops.com/