At the office we are constantly preaching core stabilization and pelvic floor activation in every aspect of life whether you are at the gym, about to go through a big movement or you are at home playing with your kids.Most of the time when we are talking about these groups of muscles or tasks, patients always ask about “ab workouts”. That’s not the case anymore. This “old school” train of thought where you see someone doing ab crunches till, they are blue in the face has recently changed. If you have a hot low back, chances of you doing “ab crunches” are slim to none as far as protecting your low back.Core muscles are all the muscles that surround the spine anterior (front) and posterior (back) as well as below. More importantly before we can even begin to get patients to do core exercises, we must take them through a movement exam where we are looking to see how patients move in their normal lives. Simple things such as finding your pelvic neutral, which to some might be easy, for most can be quite daunting. Can you hold that position in daily movements? Most men when asked, “Can you kegel?” Might raise an eyebrow at you and state “Isn’t that a female thing?!” The short answer is no! Both men and women should be doing kegel exercises throughout the day. It’s kind of fun and I chuckle a little as I do them either in the check-out line at the grocery store or as I watch a movie with my family. The thought of “holding a fart in” or trying to“stop peeing mid-stream” while I am doing something is quite challenging.Trying to do that while doing a squat or while running is even more challenging, but the more you do it the easier it will be. Something as simple as a kegel will help engage the core muscles as well as help protect the spine while you do everyday activities. Because we are a society that, as over time, become less mobile. These core stabilization muscles have become weak and when they are weak, we are more than likely going to get injured at some point in time. Care plans at the office are designed to ensure as we treat you from the ground up, that you as a patient are receiving the care you need. As you progress through your injury onto getting functionally strong and confident.So, if you have been injured doing the dishes, picking up your little one or if you have been injured at the gym doing a movement incorrectly, let’s get you fixed stronger and more confident so you can live the life you want without the fear of getting hurt again. For all our new patients, movement exams are incorporated into every care plan so that patients can see and feel what they are doing wrong, but more importantly feel what correct is.
