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Spine Stabilization for Low Back Pain

Christine Pratt — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 15:13:56 +0000

Spine Stabilization for Low Back Pain

What is the spine (low back pain)?

The spine is a unique structure that can bear load and bend in six degrees of freedom (think left side bending, right side bending, rounding forward, arching back, and twisting both left and right); it can absorb shock and rarely buckles under load (McGill, 2015). Most engineers could barely dream of a structure that acts as the spine does. So how does the spine manage to pull it all off? Stabilization.

What is spine stability?

Perhaps you have heard a physiotherapist or fitness professional refer to spine stability, stabilization muscles, core stability, or core strength to relieve low back pain. However, has anyone told you what stability means, or how it applies to low back pain?

As I begin to demonstrate my own understanding of spine stability, I want you to imagine a fishing rod placed vertically with the reel end closest to the ground instead of imagining the spine (back). What would happen if you were to push (i.e. apply compressive force) to the very top of the rod? The rod would bend/buckle in one direction, usually in the direction of the weakest point. Now, suppose the rod was supported by guy wires, bilaterally, at multiple points down the rod and are connected to the ground on either side. If all of these guy wires have the same amount of tension, and you were to again push on the rod’s tip, what would happen this time? Well, hopefully, the rod would not buckle. What if the guy wires on the left were loose and tight on the right? The rod would buckle to the left. (Spine analogy used by McGill, 2015)

Now imagine this same situation, but instead of a fishing rod, it is your spine, and instead of guy wires, it is your trunk muscles. Spine stability is when we can keep the spine in its natural upright position (or neutral curves) without buckling under compressive forces and is created through the stiffness that muscles develop (McGill, 2015).

Why is it important?

Spine stability is critical to health because when the spine buckles or is not stabilized, injury can occur, even if it is a micromovement (McGill, 2015). These injuries to the low back can occur acutely; however, they are often developed chronically through repetitive or sustained patterns. Using the same imagery as above, we could imagine a few instances that would cause the spine to buckle. One would be if the guy wires/muscles create unequal tension and pull the spine in one way. This could happen from moving improperly or your muscles engaging at the wrong times. Another mechanism of injury could occur if you were to press with too much force on the top of the rod/spine or are carrying considerable weight. The spine can hold the most compressive force when it is in its neutral position. Once it deviates from this neutral position, it will buckle under less compression and be at a higher risk of injury. Therefore, spine stabilization is an essential aspect of low back injury prevention and rehabilitation.

How can I improve my spine stability?

To improve back health, spine stability can be trained by learning how to move while maintaining the spine in a neutral position. By doing this, we teach the muscles in your trunk and core to support the spine and prevent it from moving into ranges that can cause injury. For more information and specific exercises to train stabilization, please book an appointment with us.

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Physiotherapy for CrossFit Athletes

Christine Pratt — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 15:32:50 +0000

How can a CAMPT Physiotherapist help CrossFit Athletes?

What is CrossFit?

CrossFit is a high-intensity sport involving power lifting, gymnastics, conditioning and agility. This extreme sport attracts elite competitors, but also welcomes beginners as it is modifiable to all. Certified CrossFit coaches are trained to teach participants how to engage muscle, and brace certain muscles groups. This method encourages safer and more efficient performance, especially when completing deadlifts, cleans, snatches and other olympic lifts but; CrossFit can leave out a vital injury preventative measure.

How Can Physiotherapy Prevent or Treat Injury?

As CrossFit is such a demanding sport involving entire body workouts, injury is evidently to occur. Additionally, CrossFit focuses on strength, endurance and power, leaving out mobility. Many injuries occur when mobility is neglected. Thus, this is where Physiotherapy comes into play. A lot of time is spent facilitating muscles, therefore very little time relaxing. Physiotherapy can help CrossFit athletes prevent, recover and rehabilitate from injury.

Common injuries that CrossFit athletes face include:

Rotator cuff tendinitis, tear or shoulder impingement
Long head of Biceps tendinitis, tendinosis or tear
Neck pain, headaches or migraines
Low back pain
Sciatica

An advanced practice Physiotherapist such as a CAMPT therapist will start with a comprehensive assessment. This will include a detailed history, a movement assessment and a manual therapy assessment. We will look for areas of decreased mobility, muscle shortening, or nerve sensitivity. Following our thorough assessment, we will design an individualized treatment plan. Treatment options with a CAMPT therapist can include highly skilled manual therapy and manipulation techniques. Part of every treatment plan will include detailed and specific exercises to address your issues.

What Exercises can help a CrossFit Participant Prevent Injury?

Here are some key stretches for CrossFit athletes that can help increase range of motion, which can lead to strength and power gains. Also, check out our CrossFit injury treatment page for services specific to CrossFitters and other athletes.

Note: stop activity immediately if you experience any pain with these stretches, then contact us for a consult.

The seated twist is a great way for athletes to increase mobility of the thoracic spine or mid back.

Pigeon Pose is typically a tough one for CrossFitters as we generally have strong and deeply engaged glutes. This is a great way to create more space in your hips.

The Downward Dog can be beneficial when used to elongate the spine, providing a stretch and weight bearing through the feet and hands.

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Piriformis Syndrome

Christine Pratt — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 13:57:42 +0000

I am hearing the term Piriformis Syndrome a lot lately. So what even is this? The Piriformis is a little muscle deep in the hip that works as a rotator of the hip. This muscle is interesting in that the sciatic muscle typically exits underneath this muscle, but anatomical variations exist where the sciatic nerve pierces the Piriformis muscle.

Having a shortened, injured or hypertonic Piriformis muscle can lead to compression of the sciatic nerve. This can cause pain, numbness, and tingling all the way along the sciatic nerve down to the foot.

It’s important that Piriformis Syndrome is differentiated from Lumbar Pathology including Disc Herniation, Facet Irritation and SacroIliac Joint .

Symptoms of Piriformis Syndrome include low back pain, buttock pain, numbness , difficulty walking, sitting, squatting, and standing.

As a highly trained Physiotherapist I have the skills to accurately diagnose and apply the proper treatment to get you better fast!

Treatment for this condition includes manual therapy to release the deep muscles of the hip and low back. Progressive muscle strengthening and stretching addressing the core muscles and the gluteals. I also utilized a unique technique called IMS, IntraMuscular Stimulation. I use a fine and flexible needle placed deep into the muscle to release tight bands of tissue. This can be a very helpful addition to Physiotherapy.

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