Exercises for Spine Stabilization: Motion/Motor Patterns, Stability Progressions, and Clinical Technique

Examples of the curl up. (A) Elbow on the mat, and curl up. (B) Elbows off the mat.

Raking of the fascia with 2 hands. Note that stimulation is to the obliques and not the rectus.

Illustration of rapid contraction, plyometric dead bug. (A) Relaxed, (B) large amplitude slow motion, and (C) short range (see arrows).

Illustration of 4 variations of the side-bridge. (A) Side-bridge with knees on the ground and the hand on shoulder. (B) Side-bridge with the hand on the waist/pelvis. (C) Side-bridge with feet on the ground and the hand on the shoulder. (D) Side-bridge with hand on waist/pelvis. Note the alignment of the ribcage and pelvis so that the spine is in a neutral posture.

Illustration of the (A) left side-bridge, (B) roll to plank, and (C) rolling from the plank to right side-bridge (this photo captures the roll midway). Note that the ribcage is locked to the pelvis, resulting in minimal spine twist.

Illustration of (A) an incorrect roll out of the plank because the pelvis is leading the ribcage, resulting in spine twist, and (B) the therapist correcting the patient with manual contact and cues to the iliac crest and ribcage.

Illustration of the birddog with the hand and foot drawing squares at the (A) starting position and (B) square out, square down, then square in. Note all motion takes place about the shoulder and hip. No motion occurs in the spine.

Curl up: average EMG in static postures and during the heavy breathing variation. Muscle activation levels during the different variations of the curl-up exercise. Raising the elbows tends to enhance rectus abdominis activity while reducing upper extensor activity. This is because the elbows and shoulders cannot pry the elevation of the head/neck/shoulders. Bracing enhances the internal obliques in particular. During heavy breathing, more muscle activity was observed in the inspiration phase of rectus abdominis, whereas less was observed in the obliques. Abbreviations: RRA, right rectus abdominis; REO, right external obique; RIO, right internal oblique; RLD, right latissimus dorsi; RUES, right upper erector spinae; RLES, right lower erector spinae; RGMED, right gluteus medius; RGMAX, right gluteus maximus; LRA, left rectus abdominis; LEO, left external oblique; LIO, left internal oblique; LLD, left latissimus dorsi; LUES, left upper erector spinae; LLES, left lower erector spinae; RBF, right biceps femoris; RRF, right rectus femoris.

Dead bug EMG: normal (average) versus plyometric (peak). The plyometric dead bug, in which the right and left arm were raised, caused higher peak muscle activity levels. Abbreviations: (see fig 8).

Comparison of the activation levels of the (A) right abdominals (rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique), (B) right back extensors (latissimus dorsi, upper erector spinae, lower erector spinae), (C) left abdominals, and (D) left back extensors, during the different variations of the side-bridge exercise. Rolling into and out of the plank appears to substantially challenge all muscles. Abbreviations: HB; heavy breathing (see fig 8 for remaining definitions).

Birddog comparison: average EMG values. Comparison of the muscle activation levels for all muscles during the different variations of the birddog exercise. Abbreviations: (see fig 8).

Birddog: squares peak EMG. Comparison of the muscle activation levels for the birddog exercise during the different phase of hand and opposite foot squares up, out, down, and in. Abbreviations: (see fig 8).