Quadratus Lumborum Muscle

   The following animated exercise is one of most effective stretches for
   this muscle. To do this exercise, simply lie on your back with both
   legs bent and cross your leg over the top of your opposite knee. From
   here, let your crossed leg(the knee that is the highest) slowly rotate
   toward the floor and hold for a count of 10. Do this exercise 10 times
   on both sides.


  Low-Back Stability Training
   Len Kravitz, Ph.D.

   Article Reviewed
   McGill, S. M. (2001). Low Back Stability: From Formal Description to
   Issues for Performance and Rehabilitation. Exercise and Sport Science
   Reviews. 29, 26-31. Introduction In the world of fitness, the terms
   .core function., .core strength., and .core stability. have become
   modern day terms in exercise program design. Client exercise
   prescriptions now include exercises specific for the .critical torso
   muscles. (e.g., transverse abdominins and multifidus muscles),
   posture/spinal assessments, training movements to correct muscle
   imbalances, and new concepts for training the .global. abdominal
   muscles (rectus abdominis and obliques). However, much of the exercise
   design is based on .bits an pieces. of the research on low back
   stability. Most recently, Stuart McGill, one of the leading researchers
   in the world on low back stability authored a review article on this
   topic to .develop a synthesis of the scientific foundation of the
   notion of stability as it pertains to the lumbar spine and then to
   provide specific guidelines for enhancing stability to advance
   rehabilitation and athletic performance.. Highlights of this review
   article will be discussed in this article. The Unstable Spine How do
   injuries to the low back occur from such seemingly simple tasks as
   bending over to pick something off the floor? Research now shows that
   nominal daily tasks, as well as strenuous bodily exertions, may result
   in a spine .buckling. (McGill, 2001). Computerized analysis of this
   phenomenon suggests that there is a momentary reduction in neural
   activation to one or more of the deep intervetebral muscles, resulting
   in this spinal segmental .buckling. (slight rotation of a spinal
   segment), leading to tissue irritation or injury. Therefore, the
   musculature must be trained to .stiffen the spine against buckling.
   (McGill, 200). However, when prescribing low back exercise programs for
   the many levels of fitness abilities, and realizing the different
   demands people place on their bodies, determining an optimal balance of
   stability and mobility becomes quite challenging. The Stable Spine
   Considering that spinal joints can rotate in the sagital, frontal and
   horizontal plane, as well move along the three axes of these planes,
   the goals of creating a stable spine are multidimensional. It should be
   noted that all joints have an inherent .joint stiffness., which is
   attributable to the passive joint capsules and surrounding ligaments
   (McGill, 2001). In addition, the motor control system to the muscles is
   able to control stability of the joints through coordinated muscle
   coactiviation (McGill, 2001). However, as introduced in the section
   above, a defective motor control system can lead to the temporary
   .buckling affect. of an intersegmental joint, and subsequent injury.
   McGill suggests that the preventative objective is to attain
   .sufficient stability., which directly relates to optimal stability and
   mobility with no compromise to the spine. This can be attained with
   exercises that provide coactivation of the deep intrinsic spinal
   muscles and abdominal wall (transverse abdominis). Introducing the Main
   Lumbar Spine Stabilizers Identifying the functional roles of the
   significant spinal stabilizers requires deep intramuscular electrode
   studies, which are quite challenging to successfully complete.
   Developing mathematical models of the spinal muscular doing activities
   is another way of estimating muscle involvement and activation.
   However, the use of both of these investigative techniques suggests
   that the important intrinsic muscles of the spine include the
   multifidus, quadradus lumborum, longissimus, and iliocostalis as well
   as the transverse abdominins (McGill, 2001). The Low Back Training
   Program From McGill.s research on low back stability, the data suggest
   that the healthiest training intervention for the spinal flexors
   involves muscular endurance versus strength training. McGill states
   that .the safest and mechanically most justifiable approach to
   enhancing lumbar stability through exercise entails a philosophical
   approach consistent with endurance, not strength; that ensures a
   neutral spine posture when under load (or more specifically avoids end
   range positions) and that encourages abdominal muscle cocontraction and
   bracing in a functional way.. Bracing is a neurophysiological
   phenomenon involving cocontraction of the abdominal wall and deep
   intrinsic muscles of the spine in an effort to better stabilize the low
   back. Flexion-Extension .Cat-Camel. Warm-up McGill and colleagues
   recommend beginning the low back stability program with about six
   flexion-extension cycles of the .cat-camel. exercise. This is done not
   as a stretch, but as a mobility exercise to reduce any present stresses
   on the spine. Quadratus Lumborum Training For quadratus lumborum
   training, McGill recommends the horizontal isometric side bridge which
   can be done from a knee supporting position on the floor or a more
   challenging version which utilizes a feet supported version. Another
   advanced version that involves a maximal involvement of the quadratus
   lumborum, obliques, with cocontraction of the critical spine muscles
   and transverse abdominis is the rolling side bridge. Rectus Abdominis,
   Obliques, and Transverse Abdominis Training Dr. McGill notes that there
   is no single abdominal exercise that effectively challenges all of the
   abdominal musculature. He therefore recommends several versions of
   curl-ups (or crunches) for the rectus abdominis and obliques in
   conjuction with the quadratus lumborum exercises. The article suggests
   to avoid sit-up exercises with bent and straight legs due to the high
   psoas activation and compressive loads on the low back. Leg raises also
   cause a great deal of psoas activation and spine compression. Back
   Extensor Training Front lying (prone) upper torso (or leg) lifts off
   the floor may not be safely indicated for persons with low back pain.
   These exercises may place to much load on the spine. One alternative
   exercise McGill recommends in his review is the .Bird-Dog. exercise.
   This exercise adequately engages the longissimus, iliocostalis, and
   mutifidus muscles of the spine, with much less stress to the spinal
   segments. Stability Training Concepts When designing low back stability
   programs, keep in mind that the optimal goal is training the spinal
   extensors and flexors for .sufficient stability.. McGill suggests that
   to accomplish this goal with the torso musculature, programs should be
   designed to enhance muscular endurance, rather than muscular strength.
   Try to balance the amount of exercises you do for the spinal flexors
   and extensor exercises. The lateral musculature exercises should get
   about 75% of the time allotted the spinal extensors (McGill, 2001).
   Finally, encourage your clients to continually learn how to draw in the
   abdominals, engaging the transverse abdominals. Hopefully, with this
   researched-based approach to low back stability training you will be
   sparing your clients spinal damage while helping to improve the quality
   of their active lifestyle. [spectrum.gif] Top of Page | Research
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