Core Strengthening

Core stabilization or trunk stabilization is the trendy buzz word of 2006, but it's something that physiotherapists have used for decades in rehabilitation of spinal conditions and injuries.  Physiotherapists have known the importance of multifidus and used the exercise ball in their clinics for over 30 years.  

Rest is the most common treatment prescribed by physicians for back pain despite the fact that prolonged bed rest has been shown to be harmful.  Rest has little effect on the natural history of back pain and may actually increase the severity of pain.  Surgery is effective in only a very small percentage of patients. Although manual therapy and electrotherapy are  commonly used to treat lower back pain, exercise therapy is a is a specialist clinical skill and a key tool to the restoration of patients' well being.  

Stability does not just mean strength.  I have treated many bodybuilders, professional and amateur athletes, and gym rats with low back pain.  The strongest weight lifters and body builders can have huge abdominal musculature and yet have a functionally unstable spine and resulting back pain.

Spinal stability is dependent on  the structure of the spine (the boney alignment, and the ligaments that hold each together) and the muscular support that actively holds the spine in an optimum position.  Neural control centres provide sensory feedback from both systems and are responsible for the timing of muscles that support the spine. When you go to open a heavy door, a coordinated, well timed sequence of muscular contractions occur in your back to provide your spine with the stability to open the door.  If you damage your back through a lifting injury or car accident, your ligamentous support system is damaged, therefore you need to use your active muscular support system to stabilize your spine.  That involves not only strengthening but also coordinating and re-educating the surrounding musculature.  The muscles' ability to contract and maintain stability depends on the speed and accuracy with which the information from joints and stretched ligaments is relayed.  The important aspects of neural system development are therefore accuracy of movement, and speed of the reacting muscular contractions.

As physiotherapists we will teach you how to stabilize your back using a wide range of exercises  to rehabilitate an injury, help prevent a recurrence, or for challenging sports or work place activities.  At Great Lakes Physiotherapy Centres we are trained in the latest core stabilization strategies and Holten M.E.T. (medical exercise therapy).  We have fully equipped gyms and you will have access to your physiotherapist daily for exercise instruction, progression, and to answer any questions you may have.

A basic skill that one needs to acquire to perform lumbar stabilization exercises correctly  is called "abdominal hollowing".  Click on the following link for instruction on how to achieve this "abdominal hollowing"

Abdominal Hollowing Exercise

The ability to dissociate movement of the lumbar spine from movement of the pelvis is an essential skill when trying to obtain stabilization and healthy functioning of the lower back.  You may need assistance from a physiotherapist to achieve this dissociation.  An exercise that demonstrates movement of the pelvis that is independent of that of the lower back is the pelvic tilt.  Being able to achieve this in lying, sitting, standing, and during movement is an essential skill that must be mastered prior to moving on to more advanced lumbar stabilization exercises.  Click on the following link on instruction on how to do a pelvic tilt.

Pelvic Tilt

Exercise Ball Exercises



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