4 Ways to Avoid Core Muscle Injury

A wise person once told me that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. So I decided, instead of waiting for patients to react to their pain I would show you how to prevent it in the first place. Back pain and injury can be avoided if you learn what to look for.

Rule #1: Posture

Frequently I have been asked how to reduce the chances or avoid injuries to the lower back and the core muscles. In order to accomplish this goal we have to keep 4 things in mind. The first is posture! The principle of maintaining good posture cannot be overstated because it will keep you out of harm's way. It is important to keep in mind that you must maintain good posture with everything that you do. When your posture is good, all your body parts or anatomical structures will be in its correct position which will limit the wear and tear on the structures involved with the movement.

Rule # 2: Flexibility

The second rule to avoid low back injury is maintaining flexibility. Poor flexibility results in restriction of movement which leads to sprains and strains to muscles, tendons and ligaments. Poor flexibility starts off as slight stiffness but will lead to injury and damage if you’re not careful. Tightness to the powerful major muscle groups of the legs and the thighs have an influence on the lower back, creating tension and stress.

Rule #3: Avoid Muscle Weakness

The third principle to remember to avoid injury is muscle weakness. Muscle weakness will leave you open to injury because strong muscles protect joints. Whenever we have weak muscles performing activity it results in compensation or undue stress to other muscles or structures in the body and that is a recipe for disaster.

Rule # 4: Coordination

The fourth principle is coordination. Poor coordination is the results of the using muscles, joints and other structures improperly. When this happens you are likely to create injury. A simple and coordinated movement that we might take for granted is lifting up a baby. The truth is mothers of toddlers are doing a lot of strenuous activity lifting thousands of times a day.

These 4 principles are easy to remember but difficult to maintain consistently on a daily basis with all activities. Posture has been something we have been told since a child in elementary school, however it is not as easy to maintain. Flexibility is taken for granted when we are younger but is more noticeable as we age. Muscle weakness and inadequate strength for basic movements is the number one underlying reason for visits to my practice as a physical therapist. Coordinated movements might be an emphasis during a performance or an Olympic event, however should be part of our thought patterns with all that we do.

Your health is the most valuable asset that you have. Learn and practice increasing its worth.

That’s it! If you have any questions be sure to leave them below or reach out to me on Facebook and Instagram!