Core Stability
Core stability or trunk
stabilization is the trendy buzz word of the day, but it's
something that physical therapists have used for decades in rehabilitation
of spinal conditions and injuries. Physical therapists have known the
importance of multifidus and transversus abdominus
and used exercise ball exercises in their
clinics for over 30 years.
Like
many areas that remain undeveloped in bodybuilders and weightlifters,
if they're out of sight, they're out of mind. The stabilizing
musculature of the body lies deep beneath the glamorous one's they like
to display.
Stability does not just mean strength. I have treated many
bodybuilders, professional and amateur athletes, and weekend warriors with low
back pain. The strongest weight lifters and body builders can
have huge abdominal musculature and yet have a functionally unstable
spine, resulting in back pain. People either don't know about
them, don't know how to activate them, or don't care, until they are
injured.
The transversus abdominus, multifidus, rotatores, pelvic floor muscles and the
diaphragm
all work to stabilize the spine to provide a platform for
strong dynamic limb movements. Yoga, Pilates, exercise balls, tai bo,
etc. all target core strength using rapidly changing acceleration
and momentum.
The endurance of abdominal and paravertebral muscles is important as it
serves to maintain core stability over a prolonged period of time
against moderate resistance. This serves to ensure dynamic stability of
the joints during movements of the extremities. Dynamic stability
is the ability to maintain the joint surfaces within the physiological
limits of its surrounding structures (capsule lig. etc) when movement
is taking place either in the trunk or the extremities. Dynamic
instability resulting from insufficient strength or endurance of
stabilizing muscles and may cause abnormal shearing movements and stresses
to occur which cause degenerative changes within the joint complexes of
the spine. These degenerative changes initially manifesting as
hypermobility or instability may progress to multilevel spondylosis or arthritis if
left untreated.
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