Core Stability and Low Back Pain Continued

doctorjet March 19th, 2009

In my first blog about core stability and its influence on low back pain, I started to cover some basics differentiating abdominal work and core work. However, I didn’t get into any real specifics as to why there is a difference between the two.

As I alluded to previously, one concept to grasp is that not just the large muscle groups in our core support our backs. These large groups such as your Rectus Abdominis are very voluntary in action. Meaning that we can consciously control their activity very easily making them very easy to exercise and therefore strengthen. In contrast to these large muscles we can isolate and control, there are numerous very small core muscles surrounding the spine that can be seen as acting on more of a reflexive basis.

To illustrate this difference, as you sit here, try isolate and only flex your Rectus Adbominis Muscles (your “Six-Pack”). Generally speaking, it should be very easy to contract only this group if you concentrate.
Now try to focus on contracting only the small muscles between your 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae that extend and rotate that spinal level. It’s practically impossible. That’s because these muscles are wired different than large groups such as your Abs. They act more subconsciously as a part of a more general movement such as extension and rotation of the back. That’s why you never hear anyone say, “I’m gonna go to the gym and work my Biceps, Triceps, and Multifidus”.

However, these small muscles, such as Multifidus, are always working in your back. Whenever you walk, bend, run, or cycle; they are always there creating motion and providing support. That is at least in a healthy spine. If some sort of stress or trauma creates and area of injury to the core, the body will use these small muscles (as well as large groups) to support the injury in ways they really were not designed for. While our bodies are great at compensating for injury and keeping us out of pain for a while, they can’t keep it up forever. The problem comes when you go to perform an activity that would usually require the support of these small core muscles. This time that small muscle is fatigued or injured from trying to compensate for the previous area of instability and it can’t do the job it was designed for. This is where you really hurt your back.

This concept is why proper chiropractic care of your spine is so important to core stability. By addressing the areas of spine that are unstable due to previous trauma, we allow the body to stabilize itself. This relieves current pain and, just as important, it can help prevent future injury that would have otherwise been almost inevitable.

In my next blog I’ll briefly cover some simple exercises that can help develop small core stabilizing muscles.

Take care,
Dr JET