6 Pack or Beer Belly

Not a day goes by I don’t hear “I do plenty of sit-ups, I have a strong core so I don’t know why my back hurts.” Well, muscles can be strong in what’s known as the physic, or moving function, but not so much in the postural state. Poor postural strength leads to poor performance and low back pain. So matter what your stomach looks like on the outside it does not show how strong the core muscles are.

Core stability in fact is not due to the absolute strength of the stomach or back muscles, but how well they produce and maintain pressure especially under loading or movement. 

At all times, but especially when trying to move or do things, the abdominal cavity squeezes in not only to keep you from falling but give you a burst. If the core stabilizers aren’t working correctly, then muscles that you’d normally use for activity have to divert from action to stability; kind of like when Capt Kirk would divert all the power to the front shields and then couldn’t jump to hyper-drive to evade the Klingons-or something like that.

The best way to build and maintain good core stability is through physical therapy. Physical Therapy is/should be more than doing a bunch of squats or playing around with a giant rubber band. Physical therapy is a dynamic protocol that addresses and restores pain, posture, mobility, stability, endurance, strength and power.  There is s a science behind what muscles are strengthen and how. Our Chiropractors have PT privileges in MD.  What does that mean?  Chiropractors are able to perform and bill for PT services.  Our doctors attend seminars each year to learn the newest PT protocols.

Proper core stability is not achieved by doing sit-ups or hanging upside down like Rocky did in that barn preparing to fight Drago, proper core stability is achieved challenging the small, long-contracting muscles that compress our internal cylinder; under supervision of trained Physical Therapy professionals like our Bel Air Chiropractors.