By Rich Lauro MAT, MES, PRS

This is first article of a series of articles to follow. In this article I will be addressing one of main core stabilizing muscles of lumbar spine and its role in back pain, as well as specific exercises that should be performed to prevent and recover faster from your back pain. You should make these exercises part of your everyday routine, just like brushing your teeth.

Words of wisdom before performing these exercises:

· Consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program or if you're experiencing radiating pain.

· Don't stop your exercise program just because your back feels better. Continue exercising to keep your back pain from returning.

· Where most rehabilitation programs fail is in selection and repetitions they prescribe to their patients. People with weak back muscles should not only strengthen these muscles but should concentrate on building muscle endurance since these muscles are at work all day long.

· Consider working with a Muscle Activation Technique Therapist to identify and correct muscular imbalances and to make sure all muscles are functioning properly.

Core Stabilizer:

Transverse Abdominal (TVA) is a very important stabilizer of low-back. It is deepest of abdominal muscles and only one that runs horizontal. It activates prior to muscles of hips and thorax. When contracted it flattens abdominal wall and compresses viscera. The TVA is required for all integrated movements. If TVA is weak it will allow bulging of anterior abdominal wall increasing lordosis in low-back and will also create a lateral bulge in (forward bending) or extension (back bending).

Researchers used EMG activity to identify timing of TVA and multifidus contraction, compared to other abdominal muscles, during movement of upper limbs in response to visual stimuli. They found that, in subjects without lower back pain, first active muscle was transverse abdominis contracting prior to upper limb. The model they developed "identified a consistent dysfunction of transverse abdominis in people with low-back pain.

Isometric Exercises Explained:

First, mom and dad need to know where they fit in equation to success. Parents cannot be primary motivator. If a kid is not self-motivated to be on field or in gym early and often, I would say he does not have what it takes. No matter how hard a parent pushes, kids will ultimately change only if their heart is committed. A parent must be primary encourager, not a micro-managing know-it-all. Too many parents try to implement their own agendas in their child’s lives as opposed to providing guidelines, guardrails, and “good-jobs” along way.