The Back

For the next few weeks we will start talking about the back and all the problems that go with it.  Unfortunately, this is an injury that affects the majority of the population at some point in their lives, and it affects any age group, active people and non-active people. In most cases there is an actual diagnosis for back pain, but in some cases it becomes difficult to make a diagnosis which makes treatment challenging.  A number of factors can contribute to why a person’s back becomes painful; it doesn’t necessarily have to be a traumatic injury to the area. 

Some of these factors can include:

·         Poor posture

·         Muscle weakness

·         Muscle tightness

·         Incorrect exercising technique

·         Sitting at a desk all day

In many cases, a large proportion of what we see in patients is poor “core stability”.  Many of you may have heard of this concept and it is associated with Pilates.  Basically, what this means is, the deep stomach muscle called transverse abdominis, which runs as a band across our middle, is responsible for this “core stability”.  The misconception is that by doing 100 stomach crunches a day is enough stomach strengthening. 

As you can see in this picture, we have 4 different stomach muscles.

Rectus abdominis, the green muscle, is your 6-pack, and crunches and sit-ups strengthen that muscle group.

The obliques, both internal and external, are strengthened with side crunches for example.

It’s the yellow muscle, transverse abdominis that we need to focus on.  Largely, what happens is this muscle is weak, forcing the back to take-over the role of supporting you.  This places a strain on the back, in particular the lower back, and all the muscles in that area, therefore causing you pain.  If we get this transverse abdominis stronger, the correct muscles will then be supporting you, not your back, therefore decreasing the strain on that area and the muscles. 

It sounds easy, but it’s easier said than done to strengthen this muscle correctly.  It takes time and dedication to certain exercises to build this strength.  It is also something to become aware of on a daily basis, something you should eventually be doing 24/7!!  If the “core” is not strong enough, then the rest of your body will not function at its best...a six-pack means nothing without a strong “core”!

So over the next few weeks, we will introduce you to how the spine works; some of the common complaints and injuries we see; and how everything is connected to the spine and how it functions.