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Thursday, August 11, 2011
Lumbar rotations
This is a good mobility move for a part of the body that is often too stiff and immobile due to our sedentary lives. It is also one of the basic 5 daily mobility moves that Colin Gordon recommends
You have got to be very, very careful with this move. The lumbar spine and intervertebral discs will be subjected to a moderate to high level of shear force. Based on design, the lumbar spine can withstand compression and distraction, but not a shear force. Moreover - take a look at the facet joints of a lumbar vertebrae. They prevent rotation - the motion is coming from t-spine and SIJ. The focus should be on hip and t-spine mobility.
You have got to be very, very careful with this move. The lumbar spine and intervertebral discs will be subjected to a moderate to high level of shear force. Based on design, the lumbar spine can withstand compression and distraction, but not a shear force. Moreover - take a look at the facet joints of a lumbar vertebrae. They prevent rotation - the motion is coming from t-spine and SIJ. The focus should be on hip and t-spine mobility.
ReplyDeleteThanks - I take your points: lower back is for stability not mobility
ReplyDeleteAlong kinetic chains in the body, our "joint complexes" alternate from stability to mobility:
ReplyDeleteFeet: stable
Ankle: mobile
Knee: stable
Hip: mobile
Lumbar: stable
T-Spine: mobile
...along the arms you can witness the same pattern of alternating purpose
When you force a joint complex away from it's design, it becomes damaged.
What Dr. John said. Good way to make back pain worse.
ReplyDeleteIf you look in McGill's work or Porterfield and DeRossa's work they're pretty clear that this is a terrible idea.