Lower Trunk Rotation Table Top

Professional Rationale
A more advanced supine abdominal stabilization exercise. This is a good place to start if patients can initiate a good TA contraction, but they are unable to tolerate 4 point or ball stabilization.

Client Rationale
This is a more progressive stabilizing exercise in supine in which both legs are off the ground, further challenging your abdominals. It is teaching your muscles to stabilize your trunk while doing something different with your arms and legs. This is in fact what we do when we are walking, getting in and out of a car, putting on a pair of pants, typing at a keyboard. When the core is weak the muscles become dependent on each other or simply get sleepy, increasing the load on the spine. Retraining the core muscles to turn on independently of the muscles of the extremities promotes stabilization and unloading of the spine during functional mobility in addition to lifting. The Transverse Abdominus is a muscle that runs from your groin to about halfway up your stomach. When this muscles contracts, it increases the intra-abdominal pressure, resulting in significantly lower loads on the joints and discs of the lumbar spine (low back). When the TA contracts, it also engages the multifidi which are small segmental muscles of the lumbar spine and this helps to create a 'natural corset' for the spine. This ability of the body to create this natural corset, is in effect, Core Strength.



Instructions

• Lie on the floor with your legs in table top position.
• You can keep your arms out to the side for balance.
• Twist your knees from side to side.
• Do not let your pelvis move.
• Do not let your upper body move.

PRINT