>>What do you mean here by "then don't hold your breathe", in reference to
>>spinal stabilization?
Thanks for your observation - It was a bit of a play on words concenpts..
- reflections on breathing and trunk stability.
First. The transversus abdominis doesn't develop any signficiant torque
across the spine and therefore you will be waiting a long while to
strengthen it to generate any support. There is some arguement as to the
role of intra abdominal pressure providing some stability this is best
sustained with co-activation of the Diaphragms (Pelvic and thoracic) and
the TrAb. - i.e co-activation with closed glottis - holding your breathe.
So it was a play on words saying that you'll be waiting a long time to have
Trab provide stability of the Lx by generating troques - unless you are
holding your breathe.
The reference was not to valsalva manoeuvre but I sure someone could link
it to the issue.
A second issue is that we did some research on motor patterns of activation
of the Antero-lateral abdominal (Probably best described as posterior
fibres of IO overlying TraAb) and found that people tend to co-activate the
diaphragm / chestwall when asked to increase their effort to stabilise
their pelvis. Therefore one strategy people adopt to facilitate
Transversus is to hold their breathe (or at least change their breathing
pattern to an upper chest breathing pattern). Anecdotally people with acute
LBP often have an upper chest breathing pattern and very small excursions
of the diaphragm. This pattern Like other substitution patterns need to be
corrected (as best as possible) before continuing.
Finally, it has been demonstarted that the diaphragm assists (in concert
with Transversus Abdom) to stabilise the Lx during low ventialtion levels -
as the ventilation demands increase then the drive to breathe overcomes any
contribution to spinal stability. This is a hypothesised mechanism for
athletes getting LBP when under large ventialtory demands.
Hope this helps in some way.
cheers
GTA.
________________________________________________
Garry T Allison (A/Professor of Physiotherapy)
The Centre for Musculoskeletal Studies http://www.cms.uwa.edu.au/
Department of Surgery, The University of Western Australia.
Level 2 Medical Research Foundation Building
Rear 50 Murray Street
Perth Western Australia 6000.
email <[log in to unmask]>
ph: (618) 9224 0219
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|