Exercises for the Spine

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Exercises for the Spine
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Abdominal Exercises

• Effective sit-ups emphasis lumbar flexion of the
  abdominal muscles
• Hip flexor muscles (e.g. iliopsoas) can also
  perform lumbar flexion

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Abdominal Exercises

• Flexing the knees neutralizes the hip flexor
  muscles
• Stabilizing the feet increases the strength of
  the hip flexors

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Crunches

1. Flex the knees and hip to 90 degrees
2. Dont stabilize the feet
3. Arms at side move them closer to the head to
   increase difficulty
4. If hands behind head, avoid over cervical flexion
5. Slowly perform lumbar flexion
6. Exhale during lumbar flexion
7. Abdominal muscles active during first half of
   lumbar flexion
8. Return until head touches the floor
9. Muscles Upper rectus Abdominis (obliques, hip
   flexors)

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Leg Pull or Reverse Crunch

• Action?
• Lumbar flexion
• Muscles
• Lower rectus abdominis, obliques, and hip flexors

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Leg Raises

• Muscles First, hip flexors then as the hips are
  raised off the ground, the rectus abdominis is
  more involved

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Abdominal Exercises

• Rectus Abdominis and Obliques dynamically
  contract only if actual waist flexion occurs.
• With no waist flexion, Rectus Abdominis and
  External Oblique will only isometrically contract
  to stabilize the pelvis and waist during hip
  flexion.
• It may be necessary to completely flex the hips
  before waist flexion is possible
• ExRx

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Abdominal Exercises

• Muscles Obliques (rectus abdominis and hip
  flexors)
• Notice her right external oblique - rotation to
  the opposite side
• Her left internal oblique - rotation to the same
  side

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Sit-Ups

• Muscles Rectus abdominis (obliques and hip
  flexors)
• Note Flexing or curling the lumbar region
  emphasizes the rectus abdominis

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Incline Sit-ups

• Increased resistance

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Leg Raise

• Muscles First, hip flexors. As the upper leg
  passes horizontal, rectus abdominis becomes more
  involved

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Side Bends

• Action?
• Lateral Flexion
• Muscles
• Quadratus Lumborum, Rectus Abdominis, and
  Obliques

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• Muscle?
• Transverse abdominis

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Abdominal Exercises

• No one type of abdominal exercise is best.

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Do abdominal exercises help lose weight around
the waist?
No way!
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FTC Charges Three Top-selling Electronic
Abdominal Exercise Belts with Making False Claims
(2002) Alleges Electronic Abdominal Gadgets Won't
Provide Six-Pack Abs "Now you can get rock hard
abs with no sweat"?"Lose 4 Inches in 30 Days
Guaranteed"?"30 More Effective Than Normal
Exercise"?"10 Minutes 600 Sit-Ups These are
the types of claims the Federal Trade Commission
has challenged in complaints filed in federal
district courts against three widely advertised
electronic abdominal exercise belts - AB
Energizer, AbTronic, and Fast Abs. The FTC
alleges that the marketers of the devices, which
use electronic muscle stimulation (EMS), have
falsely advertised that users will get "six pack"
or "washboard" abs without exercise. For years,
marketers of diet and exercise products have been
preying on overweight, out-of-shape consumers by
hawking false hope in a pill, false hope in a
bottle, and, now, in a belt," said FTC Chairman
Timothy J. Muris. Unfortunately, there are no
magic pills, potions, or pulsators for losing
weight and getting into shape. The only winning
combination is changing your diet and exercise."
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Lower Back Injuries

• Lumbar region is most susceptible to chronic
  injuries
• Weight-loading sports that compress the spine
• weight lifting, running
• Rotation-causing events
• racket sports and golf
• Back arching events
• rowing, swimming and volleyball

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Lower Back Injuries

• Due to weak abdominal muscles and tight
  hamstrings.
• Due to mechanical strain of the ligaments and
  joints from from inadequate warm up, weak
  abdominal muscles, and/or tight hamstrings.
• Results in lordosis of the lower back.
• Patients complain of low back pain after long
  periods of standing or playing.
• Can treat with muscle strengthening exercises or
  anti-lordotic Boston brace.

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Lower Back Injuries Prevention

• Strong abdominal muscles
• Proper technique.
• This often involves developing gluteal and
  quadriceps strength so that you can crouch
  without excessively swaying the lower back.
• Balanced program of both stretching and
  strengthening.

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Spondylolysis
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Spinal Stenosis

• In spinal stenosis, the spinal canal narrows and
  pinches the spinal cord and nerves.
• The result is low back pain as well as pain in
  the legs.
• Stenosis may pinch the nerves that control muscle
  power and sensation in the legs.

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Herniated Disk
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Herniated Disk

• Causes
• aging
• wear-and-tear
• excessive weight which can squeeze the softer
  material of the nucleus out toward the spinal
  canal
• bad posture
• improper lifting
• sudden pressure (which may be slight)
• Also known as a "slipped" or "ruptured" disk in
  the back.

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Herniated Disks
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Herniated Disks