02/12/2021
I’m frequently asked: “what’s so special about the core and how can it help me with spinal pain?”
Despite the heated controversies depending on your source and who you ask, there are some undeniable truths.
Below are anterior/posterior (front/back) groupings of musculature comprising the "core." They’re both the stability and the driving force behind ALL your daily movements such as when you stand, carry, push, and pull, just to name a few.
Stabilization is defined as:
1. the process of making something physically more secure.
2. the process of becoming or being made unlikely to change, fail, or decline.
[Definitions from Oxford Languages]
Body awareness is a skill worth investing in (not just in cryptocurrency).
The human spine is capable of maintaining a vertical position relative to the earth's gravity when segmentally sustained in neutrality. Wait, WHAT?I
You have 4 sections of your spine:
Cervical (neck), thoracic (chest/mid-upper back), lumbar (low back), and sacral (tail-bone) which, when maintained a specific curvature orientation relative to their section, give you posture.
The muscles that connect and surround these sections are responsible for allowing you to bend forward, rotate, side-bend and arch. They also hold your spine in a "stable" position when rolling, squatting, pushing, pulling, walking, etc.
Postural pain arises from poor postural awareness. In other words, habitually resorting to inappropriate spinal alignment while performing activities can lead to tightness, pain and/or weakness. This may include shooting pain into your legs, and even incontinence.
If you think in terms of compound interest, over much ignored time, microscopic breakdowns of the tissue accumulate to failure of the system. Pain peaks and you seek professional help. That’s when we have your back! We’re here to help you understand how your mechanics interact with the world around you.
What are some good core exercises?
It is important to talk to an experienced physical therapist or athletic trainer to target your specific weaknesses in order to achieve efficient postural control and reduce spinal pain.
Here is a study that can further illustrate the benefits of core stabilization as well as sling exercises with regard to spinal pain.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788767/
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