How Core Strength Protects Your Back

 

At Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center, protecting your back is at the core of what we do. Speaking of the core, its strength is a big part of the prevention and treatment of spine-related issues. That’s why Dr. Jay McClanahan enjoys helping the people of Nitro, WV increase their core strength. It reduces pain, optimizes performance, and improves overall quality of life, so read on to learn how.

The Muscles That Provide Core Strength

In order to understand how core strength protects your back, we need to take a look at its anatomy and function.

Your core musculature runs along your midsection, connecting your arms, legs, and head to your spine. It’s been described as the cylinder between the diaphragm and the pelvis, which can include muscles such as the abdominals, paraspinals, and even glutes. Technically, your core is divided up into local muscles, or inner core, and global muscles, or outer core.

The inner core muscles lie alongside the spine and help provide stability and stiffness. These include:

• The erector spinae
• Multifidi
• Pelvic floor
• Diaphragm
• Internal obliques

The outer core muscles run from your hips to your ribs, and, in addition to providing stability, they help connect the upper and lower body through movement. These muscles include:

• Rectus abdominis
• External obliques
• Erector spinae

How Core Strength Protects Your Back

While a healthy spine can move freely in all directions, a strong spine can brace against external load to resist movement. A lack of core strength can mean things get pulled out of line, and your spine is left unprotected. Bracing your core, however, helps keep everything in place.

Research shows that core stability exercises manage lower back pain, which makes sense since a big role of core strength is spinal stabilization. Much like a Roman column, a strong core supports a strong overall structure. Creating a strong pillar between your rib cage and pelvis with adequate core strength keeps dangerous stress off of the spine, and therefore protects your back from a painful injury.

Start improving your core strength today

Ready to build a bulletproof core? Get in touch with Dr. McClanahan to set up your appointment at Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Nitro, WV by calling 304-776-1520.