The back bone of any organisation is …….

Hope you are well, they say that spring is the time to have a good clear out, but October has exactly the same incentive for me, not only throwing out my old kit and clothes but to reflect upon the tools I use in my teaching and my business. After all if we consider the phrase above, what we say and do is ultimately the back bone of our identity.

I recently put up a post across the social media platforms on bracing and ab pulling in, who does what and when? It got more comment than most but revealed that there is still a pre occupation in our industry with using the abdominals to protect the spine. Or indeed that the spine is in need of protection. Can you imagine just throwing this whole concept away and starting again? By applying a more logical and lateral view, you could transform what you do and the way that people perceive what you do – pretty much overnight.

The core stability craze started in the late 90’s and since then it has pretty much been taken for granted that the following are true:

1 That certain muscles are more important for stabilisation of the spine, in particular transverses abdominis (TrA).
2 That weak abdominal muscles lead to back pain
3 That strengthening abdominal or trunk muscles can reduce back pain
4 That there is a unique group of “core” muscles working independently of other trunk muscles
5 That a strong core will prevent injury.
6 That there is a relationship between stability and back pain

If we buy into this line of thinking we are then also assuming that:

1 That loss of core muscle strength could lead to back injury
2 That increasing core strength can alleviate back pain

These are the very things discussed and studies by Professor Eyal Lederman in his article The Myth of Core Stability

In brief his conclusion (this is quoted to save you reading the whole article) were as follows:

Weak trunk muscles, weak abdominals and imbalances between trunk muscles groups are not pathological, just a normal variation. The division of the trunk into core and global muscle system is a reductionist fantasy, which serves only to promote CS. Weak or dysfunctional abdominal muscles will not lead to back pain. Tensing the trunk muscles is unlikely to provide any protection against back pain or reduce the recurrence of back pain. Core stability exercises are no more effective than, and will not prevent injury more than, any other forms of exercise. Core stability exercises are no better than other forms of exercise in reducing chronic lower back pain. Any therapeutic influence is related to the exercise effects rather than CS issues. There may be potential danger of damaging the spine with continuous tensing of the trunk muscles during daily and sports activities. Patients who have been trained to use complex abdominal hollowing and bracing maneuvers should be discouraged from using them.

Of course he is not alone in this train of thinking and the internet is full of arguments for and against, for anyone appalled at ever giving up this theme of teaching. He is a professor and we are merely the channel of such information. Realistically though, I always advise that we apply logic to everything we say and do in our careers. This way – honestly you will save yourself a fortune in qualification fees and nominated hours of study.

The quote at the top of this page refers to the back bone – it is the hub of all movement (along with the pelvis) in everything that we do. If something goes wrong at any joint or musculature dysfunction occurs, you can bet the spine will pick up the slack and carry on regardless. It is by formation and function the very opposite of weak, dysfunctional, in need of help, support or care (unless damaged). It’s worth thinking about, isn’t it.

Last week I made the stupid mistake of scaring my new horse, making her rear. I fell backwards and in doing so pulled her with me – I slammed onto the floor and she slammed onto me. As luck would have it, I simply got up and did the walk of shame back to the stable, very bruised in body and ego. During my fall there was no abdominal pulling, bracing, firing in any elective way – i can assure you. This all happened sympathetically because this is what those muscles do. I can thank a lifetime of hard exercise and a refusal to confirm to such myths as the reason that I continue to get up from falls like these. If I had spent the last 18 years bending my knees, keeping my spine straight and being very slow, careful and gentle – things might have been very different on this and many other occasions.

Give this some thought during October. Spend time considering in the here and now how a healthy spine is something to be so grateful for and how trying to protect it could possible be a gross waste of time and energy. We could be working on the breath and the mindset of everyone we meet, allowing them to celebrate their function and ability to do so many things because of the spine.

Always happy to hear your thoughts.

J a y n e