Core: mobilizing the back

Core has become a term that is sometimes misused and misunderstood. Core is more than abs. It is the entire structure of the body, excluding head and appendages. If core is made up of the torso, then to get a stronger core, you must work all the muscles of the torso which include back, shoulders, chest and abdomen. However for the sake of common usage, let’s look at the muscles that make up the mid-section of the body, popularly termed the core. It is generally held that the muscles that hold up the ribcage and connect the upper torso to the lower body (hips and pelvic area) make up the core.

The back muscles that contribute the most to core strength are those that support the spine and connect the ribcage to the hip bones. In all, your spine is made up of thirty-three individual bones (vertebrae) that are held together by discs and ligaments. Twenty four of these vertebrae are flexible – they allow movement when your muscles contract. Your vertebrae are specially designed to keep you upright, to allow various degrees and directions of torso movement, and to provide a stable “center” around which all your other body movements can occur.

In general, your back moves by a process of compression and traction of the intervertebral discs – and by a gliding action of one vertebra upon another. Although the quantity of movement at any one vertebra is small, the combined effect of all twenty-four of them working at once is enormous.

Your back was designed to perform several basic movements: flexion (curling), extension (straightening), hyperextension (arching), lateral flexion (side bending) and rotation (twisting). Some of these movements can be performed freely by one region of your back and less freely by another. For example, although flexion does occur in all regions, this movement occurs most freely in the lower back.

Flexion in the chest region is restricted due to the location of the ribcage.

Extension occurs throughout all regions of the spine but is easiest in the lower chest and lower back regions.

Hyperextension is minimal in the chest region because the rear tips of these vertebrae actually run into each other as a hyperextended position is approached.

Lateral flexion occurs in some degree at all the back joints also, but is freely performed at the junction of the chest and the lower back region.  In the upper chest region, lateral flexion is severely limited because the rib cage obstructs movement.

Rotation is generally easiest in the upper back and becomes more limited as you pass downward to the lower back. Many back injuries relate to the ease or difficulty of movement in this region since to force any joint to go where it does not go with ease will cause damage to the soft tissue involved. The only solution is to prepare these joints for all possible movements and forces they may be subjected to. These are positions Agatsu refers to as “position of disadvantage”. By training these unusual positions, you are less likely to get injured if you find yourself involuntarily put into those positions. You should do this with a gentle, gradual, well-balanced regimen of exercises.

Stretching and strengthening leg and shoulder girdle muscles are also important to a well-rounded back-exercise program. No area of the body works in isolation. The leg muscles (gluteal, hamstrings, quadriceps and adductors) attach to the pelvis and give stability to the lower back. The shoulder girdle muscles (trapezius, rhomboids, latissimus and pectorals) attach to the vertebrae in the neck and chest regions to provide the upper back with movement and stability.

Mobilizing, stretching, and strengthening the back muscles will keep you strong and pain-free in your every day activities as well as in your sport of choice. The next time you hear someone say the word "core", don't forget the body is three dimensional: Front, sides and back. Look for more articles on other aspects of the core in upcoming posts.