Anti-pain gymnastics. Muscle core

To prevent the spine from being tipped over like a child’s tower of blocks that lacks a stabilizing center, the vertebrae need to be fastened together. This is accomplished by the muscles and ligaments of the spine. The abdominal and back muscles make the biggest contribution to this process. Each of these pulls the spine to its side and as a result, the spine is smooth and straight.

Most of us are familiar with bench exercises or “crunches” to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Who didn’t do these exercises in elementary school gym class! An assistant held your feet, and you tried as hard as you could to sit up, back and forth, bending and unbending from the waist with your hands behind your head. If a child’s spine can somehow manage this load, the adult’s spine begins, not just to hurt, but to resist pain! As I said earlier, the joints of the spine grow, causing narrowing of the spinal canal. In addition, the intervertebral discs may rupture and the core of the disc (in the form of hernia) may bulge out, squeezing the nerves and causing pain and paralysis. Actually, this is how “herniated discs” appear for many sportsmen: gymnasts, rowers, weightlifters and others.

Well, what about the proverbial “flexibility” of the spine? We all followed the order of the gym teacher to touch the floor with our hands while holding our knees straight, even though we suffered pain while doing it. This stretching of the spine leads to the same consequences: overload on the disc – its tearing – herniation of the disc – and endless pain. Overloading the joints of the spine – the expansion and osteophytes of joints – narrowing of the spinal canal – pain in the back and legs, sometimes even at only 40 years of age! That’s the story of disease progression. It’s a short story. Short, but very clear!

Few people realize this because they are able to lean forward and therefore believe they have flexibility in their low back. This is not true. This ability is because of basic movement that occurs in the hip joint. People with osteoarthritis of the spine cannot bend over and give themselves a pedicure. The myth of the need for flexibility in the lower spine should be debunked. I always tell my patients that they do not need a flexible spine but a healthy one!

ANTI-PAIN GYMNASTICS considers these physiological characteristics of spinal movement. All the exercises of this system place load on the back and abdomen muscles, but direct bending and unbending of the spine does not occur. This is important in order to spare the discs and joints of the spine. However, in some exercises, straining of abdominal and back muscles is required. That is, you stretch the muscles of the abdomen DELIBERATELY, and at the same time move your arms or legs. Doing this strengthens the most important muscles, the stabilizers of the spine, and at the same time keeps the spinal discs and joints healthy.

Summary

• Back and abdominal muscles form the most important muscle core, stabilizing the spine.
• Usual exercises for back and abdominal muscles overload the intervertebral discs and joints.
• ANTI-PAIN GYMNASTICS trains muscular core of the spine and at the same time saves the discs and joints of the spine.