What is the Core?

Mar 14, 2022

Health & Wellness

What Makes up the Core?

• Diaphragm: Dome-shaped muscles underneath your lower rib cage. It is your primary breathing muscle. When breathing with the diaphragm, the stomach expands on the inhale and retracts on the exhale.
• Abdominals:
  • Transversus Abdominus: The deepest abdominal muscle that produces no MAJOR observable motion but functions as an internal corset.  
  • Rectus Abdominus: Produces spinal flexion (think of crunches or sit-ups).  
  • External Obliques (EO): Produces rotation to the opposite side (right EO causes the rotation to the left).
  • Internal Obliques (IO): Produces rotation to the same side (right IO produces the rotation to the right).

• Pelvic Floor: Group of muscles that allow you to hold your bladder if you have to urinate. When functioning correctly, they contract until you decide to relieve your bladder, at which point the muscles relax to allow that to happen.
• Erector Spinae: Big, strappy muscles along the length of your back- used to help one stand upright or arch the back (spinal extension).
• Multifidi: Small muscles along the length of your back (close to the spine).
  • When functioning on both sides simultaneously, they produce spinal extensions like the erector spinae.      
  • Working one side at a time produces the same side lateral flexion and opposite side rotation (right side activates and produces side bending toward the right and rotation toward the left).

What is the Core’s Role?

• Provide stability to the spine and trunk.
• Regulates internal pressure to keep organs in place.
• Produces a variety of truncal movements (see above).
• Allows for urinary continence.
• Promotes even force distribution throughout the body.
• Increases balance stability.

Why Physical Therapy?

• Increased Mobility.
• Reduced/Absent Pain.
• Improved Body-Awareness.
• Education regarding your condition and how to manage it.

Our licensed Doctors of Physical Therapy can prescribe a treatment plan to address your specific injury. If the condition proves to require further medical testing, the evaluating therapist will determine that and direct you accordingly.