At Waldwick Family Chiropractic one of the most common concerns that we see from our patients who suffer back pain is their core stability. Many people think they have a weak core, or that their core is not doing the job that it is supposed to do. Today we are going to discuss one of the preliminary findings that we look for when a patient has this type of concern. The best part is that this is easy enough that you can do it right at home, and the fix is even easier!
While laying on your back, you are going to put your left hand on your chest and your right hand on your belly button. Once in this position, you are going to want to take a couple of big deep breaths.
The breath is super important when it comes to core stability because the brain locates the core and turns the core on, based on a pressure gradient in the abdomen, known as intra-abdominal pressure.
If you're never achieving the proper pressure within your abdomen, the brain is unable to locate the core. Many times when we're not achieving that proper pressure gradient, the brain will actually bypass the core as a whole and start to utilize the hips to stabilize the spine. This is a problem because the hips are designed to be mobile, not stable.
While breathing in the position you are looking to see which hand raises first with each breath. Ideally what we want to see the bottom fill up like a balloon and then the chest to raise last. We should fill the tank from the bottom up, not from the top down.
If you notice your top hand is moving first that's problematic to me because it's telling us that the breath is not being led with the diaphragm. When this happens, I coach patients to stabilize their top hand. It's very difficult to do, but try not to breathe in with your top hand at all. I want you to breathe in and fill your stomach up like a balloon as you breathe in.
If this is something you are not used to doing it will probably feel a little weird, maybe even like you're breathing backward? If you notice how much slower and foreign that seems, it’s because that's a neurologic motor pattern, similar to when you learn to write as a kid. If you're right-handed, you just pick up your pen and you start writing without thinking about it. Right now, you are essentially trying to write with your opposite hand, that's why it feels so funky.
When it comes to core stability, I cannot stress enough how important it is to achieve proper intra-abdominal pressure.
Once a patient has achieved the ability to breathe properly, what I'll have them do next is grasp their side with their fingers. You will want to grasp right above your hips. You do not want to squeeze too hard, just a nice firm grab so that you can feel your fingers in your abdomen.
At this point, I will coach a patient to "Breathe into your fingers." I want to see their fingers expand equally from the front and back with each breath.
You will want to do this a couple of times and you really want to fill that balloon up. I always tell my patients, "This is the easiest exercise I'll ever give you. Lay on your back and breathe."
Not to mention, you will also get some built-in meditation because meditation is focusing on your breathing. This is really an awesome exercise, and an easy way to help with your core stability. It can also help with anxiety because you're getting that meditation component.
If you're worried about your core stability, this is a great place to start. If you're still experiencing a lot of pain, I definitely recommend you head into Waldwick Family Chiropractic so we can do a bit more of an in-depth examination.
If you have any questions or please do not hesitate to reach out!
DrJesse@WaldwickChiropractic.com
Jesse J. Suess, DC CCSP®
Waldwick Family Chiropractic, LLC
22 Wyckoff Ave., Suite 1
Waldwick, NJ 07463
(201) 972-6121
drjesse@waldwickchiropractic.com
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