Core Strengthening and Back Pain

As a youngster, Angela Benvenuto had a diving accident which severely damaged her spine. Her vertebrae became compressed in several different places. "I was writhing in pain for years and it was my chiropractor who suggested yoga would be helpful and when I went to yoga class, it was the first time I was without pain in many years and I became addicted."

According to recent data presented at the annual meeting of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, yoga and pilates, which are core strengthening exercises, are finding acceptance by doctors as an effective way to treat and perhaps even prevent back pain and lower-extremity injury. "They're both very solid conditioning programs which help with strength, stabilization and also flexibility." says Dr. Lillie Rosenthal, director of physical medicine and rehab at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital.

The basic premise of core strengthening is that the spine needs more than ligaments and joints for support and function. It also needs muscle and muscle control. "The spine really consists of bones, the vertebrae and the disks between but there's many, many muscular ligament attachments onto that spine, which everybody thinks is just the bones in line and depending on what the muscles and ligaments are doing, it affects the integrity and the alignment of the spine." explains Dr. Rosenthal.

Abdominal muscles, muscles within the trunk and hips, even the pelvic floor and diaphragm are considered core muscles."We're using the abdominal muscles when we strengthen the core. We're also using the muscles in the lower back to create if you will, an internal corset of strength and stability." says Dr. Rosenthal.

For Angela, yoga allowed her to become pain free. She became so hooked that she decided to become an instructor. "When you're working your core, you're working your breath, you're working your legs, you're working your back, you're working your chest, you're working every muscle in your body because the core is connected to everything else."

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