Sitting down for long periods, as many desk workers do, can bring about many problems such as
Reduced extension of the lower back
Stiffness of the mid and upper back
Tight weak muscles of the shoulders and shoulder blades
Hunched shoulders
Tightness of the external hip muscles.
Core stability refers to the body's ability to control the trunk or core.
It involves the control of deep stabilising muscles and the more superficial global muscles. Core stability is about being able to use the right muscles at the right time and intensity in order to control the trunk appropriately for the task at hand.
The deep stabilising muscles form a muscular cylinder supporting the spine and pelvis.
These muscles include the transverse abdominal, multifidus, pelvic floor and diaphram and work together to hold your trunk stable.
Global muscles work together to move your body ie limbs and trunk
The deep stabilisers
Attach directly to the spine at each level
Turn on before you move to support the spine and pelvis
Turn on and stay on as you move
Work at a low intensity and stay on for a long time
Work independently from the global muscles
From the 1st episode of back pain the deep stabilisers change how the function, and the spine and pelvis are no longer protected by the deep stabilisers as well as they should . Once injured the deep stabilisers
Have delayed action and are only turned on after you move
Turn on and off as you move, working as the global muscles move rather than remaining on at low intensity
They work in short burst rather than staying on as you move.
When the deep stabilisers do not function as they should to stabilise the spine, the brain recruits the global muscles to compensate. Pain around the back, pelvis or groin is because of these compensatory mechanisms.
Treating painful areas only offers short term relief unless the cause of the instability is tackled, ie strengthening the deep stabilisers or core stability.
In order to improve core stability it is important to affect both the local deep stabilisers and the global muscles, for instance by improving the health and strength of the deep stabilisers, the compensatory mechanism of the global muscles are reduced. The reduction in the compensatory strategies will make you feel better
By strengthening your core stability you
Improve deep abdominal and pelvic floor tone
Improve posture
Decrease back pain, neck pain and pelvic pain
Decreases risk of acute injury
Improves flexibility
Improves sport performance
Core stability training is for the treatment and prevention of reoccurance of many areas including
Low back
Groin
Pelvis
Hamstring
Hip
Knee
Shoulder
Women's health pregnancy and pelvic floor
Training the Core
The common myth is that training the core simply involves sit ups and back extensions.
An efficient core routine consists of multiplanar movements - training in all planes of
motion. As the body moves, the centre of gravity changes, and forces exerted by, and on,
the body's tissues are constantly changing.
Dynamic stabilization must be included to increase proprioception and stability in the trunk, as well as in the rest of the body. This allows the parts of the body to react efficiently to external forces and stresses, such as gravity, changes in terrain, and carrying loads, as well as the internal forces exerted by other muscles.
Dynamic stabilityis best achieved through training in functionally practical positions that mimic activities or movements in one's particular sport, or in life as a whole. With this in mind, one can conclude that most core training that is done while sitting or lying down and limiting pelvic movement has little functional value.
Medicine balls, balance boards and stability balls are great tools for core training and
should be integrated into every program.
Core exercises should include strengthening, as well as challenges such as standing one-legged and/or two-legged on stable and unstable surfaces, reacting to external forces such as a partner's light push or the catching and throwing of a medicine ball, and moving the joints of the body through all planes of motion.
The goal of functional core training is to develop in the core a system of efficient
automatic responses to work as a stable base from which to generate optimal force and
motion.
Menu 1: Floor Static
Aimed at developing the basic level of lumbar and pelvic stability, working the front, rear, and side muscles of the pelvic floor.
The plank
The gluteal bridge
Bird dog or superman
Side plank
Menu 2: Floor Dynamic
Aimed at developing a good level of strength
endurance in the major trunk muscles.
Active straight leg raise
Oblique crunch
Side lying hip abduction
Lying wind screen wipers
Menu 3 Swiss ball static
Aimed at challenging your ability to hold good posture and pelvic alignment against both both body weight and the instability of the swiss ball
Swiss ball sit and lift leg off
Supine swiss ball bridge
Swiss ball gluteal bridge
Swiss ball plank
Menu 4 Swiss ball dynamic
Aimed at the front back and side of the trunk
Swiss ball back extensions
Swiss ball overhead pull
Swiss ball squat thrusts
Swiss Ball side crunch
Core Stability is the key to preventing re injury.
If you require any information regarding core stability then please contact your chiropractor at Perth Central City Chiropractic Clinic on 08 94868653 and we will be happy to give you advice and an information sheet.
