Recent research has changed the way exercises are prescribed for rehabilitation of all areas of the body. For neck, back and pelvic girdle pain as well as stress urinary incontinence, the evidence supports correcting problems in motor control, that is the sequencing and timing of muscle activation (core training) rather than initially focusing on training for strength and power of individual muscles (core strengthening). Individuals who go mindlessly through a routine of exercises will have limited success in retraining motor patterns and may get worse with exercise if poor patterns and control are reinforced, resulting in irritation of joint structures and worsening of symptoms. The problem may not be which exercise was prescribed, but how the exercise was performed. The key to correcting dysfunctional patterns of muscle activation is teaching awareness of movement; this requires mindfulness on the part of both the therapist and the patient.
Restoring efficient movement strategies anywhere in the body begins with creating optimal motor control and movement strategies ensuring the ideal transfer of loads through all the joints and organs. The result is a stable yet mobile system, where there is stability without rigidity of posture, without episodes of collapse or organ prolapse, and with fluidity of movement. Check out the Resources/Videocasts section of this website to listen to a full lecture on Understanding Your Back Pain. You will also find specific instruction and exercises for the deep muscles of the lumbopelvic core in the Resources/Exercise Practice/Lumbopelvic core muscle training section of this website.
Your therapist at Diane Lee & Associates will give you a very thorough examination of the joints and muscles of your body pertinent to your condition. An assessment using ultrasound imaging may be incorporated into your assessment and treatment to facilitate optimal learning of subtle, yet efficient ways to use the muscles of your core. Your exercise program will be prescriptive, in other words, designed for you with your impairments and needs in mind.
For health professionals who are interested in further information on the specific exercises for rehabilitation of the lumbopelvic-hip region check out the book 'The Pelvic Girdle, 3rd edition' (Diane Lee) and the DVD 'An Integrated Approach to the Assessment & Treatment of the Lumbopelvic-hip Region' (Diane Lee & Linda-Joy Lee). Further information on the specific exercises prescribed for the rehabilitation of the These products are available through this website at Products for Sale.
