| I like to think of myself as the thinking man's coach. I'm | | | | Sarhmann then goes on to explain in more detail the |
| always evaluating my own programs and what's | | | | rotational range of motion capabilities at the lumbar |
| currently being taught by other professionals in the | | | | spine: |
| hopes of finding better, more efficient ways of doing | | | | "The overall range of lumbar rotation is ... approximately |
| things. | | | | 13 degrees. The rotation between each segment from |
| When it comes to my evaluation process, I use a very | | | | T10 — L5 is 2 degrees. The greatest rotational range |
| simple philosophy: "If it doesn't make scientific sense, | | | | is between L5 — S1... The thoracic spine, not the |
| and it defies common sense, then it must be | | | | lumbar spine, should be the site of greatest amount of |
| nonsense." | | | | rotation of the trunk... when an individual practices |
| As I've evaluated some of the exercises commonly | | | | rotational exercises, they should be instructed to "think |
| used as dynamic warm ups by coaches and | | | | about the motion occurring in the area of the chest." |
| stretches by Yoga and Pilates instructors, I've | | | | (Sahramnn pg. 61-62) |
| concluded that many of them don't jibe with either | | | | Taking Sarhmann's advice, we've chosen to eliminate |
| common or scientific sense. | | | | exercises that drive spinal rotation from the bottom up |
| By deductive reasoning, I've concluded that these | | | | in favor of an alternative variation that's driven from |
| movements are based on nothing but nonsense, and | | | | the top down, shown below. This version puts less |
| should be eliminated from your program. I call these | | | | stress on the lumbar vertebrae and emphasizes |
| movements the Stretching Don'ts, and I hope that by | | | | rotation at the thoracic spine, which is better designed |
| the end of this article you too will avoid them like you | | | | for mobility. |
| would avoid a warm decaf soy latte. | | | | Stretching Don't #3: The Iron Cross |
| Because of the vast popularity of these exercises, it's | | | | The Iron Cross is basically a more dynamic version of |
| very likely that you're practicing some of them in your | | | | the hip cross over. Therefore, based on what I just told |
| program. In addition, many of these movements are | | | | you, it should be obvious why it's a Stretching Don't. |
| currently being taught by several well-respected | | | | The Iron Cross is actually the most poorly designed |
| coaches. | | | | and dysfunctional movement on my hit list. This |
| Well, in this article I'm going to provide you with a whole | | | | movement not only requires excessive lumbar rotation, |
| bunch of science and a solid rationale for why these | | | | but also adds a small element of lateral flexion to the |
| movements both fail to promote proper movement | | | | mix, as a byproduct of lifting the leg toward the |
| patterns, and, based on recent research, may actually | | | | opposite hand. Any qualified physical therapist will tell |
| lead to dysfunction. Rather than telling you what to do | | | | you that combining spinal lateral flexion with rotation, |
| and why, I'm going to try to teach you what not to do, | | | | especially under load, will put you on the fast track to |
| and why not to do it. | | | | disc injury. |
| As the great Bruce Lee once said, | | | | This is mentioned by Gregory S. Kolt and Lynn |
| "It's not the daily increase, but the daily decrease. Hack | | | | Snyder-Mackler in their book Physical Therapies in |
| away the unessential." | | | | Sport and Exercise (2003): |
| Stretching Don't #1: The Scorpion Twist | | | | "The mechanism of back injury in athletes is normally |
| This exercise has shown up more and more these | | | | the same as in the general population (i.e. prolonged |
| days in yoga classes and fitness magazines. | | | | and or repeated spinal flexion, flexion and rotation |
| Truth be told, I have always thought that the scorpion | | | | under load)." (p. 250) |
| was popular only because it looked cool. I have never | | | | In the book Fact and Fallacies of Fitness(2003), Mel |
| used it because in my opinion it felt very unnatural and | | | | Siff also makes this point very clear: |
| had no real functional carryover. | | | | "The combination of lateral bending and rotation |
| My personal opinion aside, the fundamental flaw with | | | | constitutes one of the most dangerous maneuvers for |
| the scorpion twist is that it requires the athlete to | | | | the lumbar spine." (p. 89) |
| simultaneously extend and rotate the spine. This type | | | | Siff than continues to make a very important point and |
| of motion can cause stress to the spinal facet joints. | | | | explain why rotary training exercises are much safer |
| Facets are small joints that overlap like shingles on a | | | | and more functional when performed in an upright |
| roof, forming the back surface of the spine. | | | | position. |
| According to Dr. Wolf Schamberger in The | | | | "A certain degree of compressive preloading locks the |
| Malalignment Syndrome: Implications for Medicine and | | | | facet assembly of the spine and makes it more |
| Sport (2002): | | | | resistant to torsion. This is the reason why trunk |
| "The facet joints are stressed non-specifically on | | | | rotation without vertical compression may cause disc |
| side bending, back extension alone and back extension | | | | injury, whereas the same movement performed with |
| combined with rotation to the right or left." (p. 244) | | | | compression is significantly safer." (p. 89) |
| Similar writings can be found later in the article: | | | | My spider-sense tells me that someone out there are |
| "Loads on the facet joints of the lumbar spine may | | | | saying, "Oh, come on now, Nick. Surely the exercises |
| play a major role in low-back pain. Shear forces | | | | you've described in Warm Up Don'ts 1 to 4 can't |
| resulting from axial rotation and flexion-extension | | | | possibly create enough force to cause any significant |
| motions (compressive shear loads) are mainly | | | | pain or dysfunction." Well, bubba, just feast your eyes |
| transmitted through the facet joints. Although traumatic | | | | on the study below, and you'll see why this line of |
| or transient shear forces will be resisted by both the | | | | thinking is flawed. |
| disc and the facets, the disc's viscoelasticity causes | | | | A research study took thirty-eight normal healthy |
| slowly applied or constant shear loads to pass through | | | | young subjects (14 males, 24 females) with mean |
| the facet joints." (Hassan A. Serhan, Ph.D.; Gus | | | | ages of 23 years (males) and 21 years (females), |
| Varnavas, M.D.; Andrew P. Dooris, Ph.D.; Avinash | | | | performed 36 functional rotational tasks of the trunk. |
| Patwardhan, Ph.D.; Michael Tzermiadianos, M.D.; | | | | The subject's lower extremities were stabilized in a |
| Biomechanics of the Posterior Lumbar Articulating | | | | stabilizing platform, allowing the entire motion of |
| Elements, 2007) | | | | flexion-rotation and extension-rotation to take place in |
| This article than goes further into the types of pain | | | | the trunk. Of these tasks, 18 were isometric and the |
| caused by facet stress and compression: | | | | other 18 were isokinetic. |
| "Facet joint compression leads to at least three | | | | The isometric tasks consisted of flexion-rotation and |
| causes of back pain: spinal osteoarthritis; bulging and | | | | extension rotation from a 20, 40 and 60 flexed trunk in |
| herniated discs; and nerve root impingement... Because | | | | 20, 40 and 60 of axial rotation. The isokinetic activity |
| the nervous system is responsible for many other | | | | consisted of flexion-rotation and extension-rotation |
| activities, the effects of facet joint compression are | | | | from upright and flexed postures respectively in 20, 40 |
| very wide ranging." | | | | and 60 rotation planes at 15, 30 and 60 /s angular |
| Recent research also suggests that you're ten times | | | | velocities. |
| more likely to suffer sciatica pain from facet | | | | The results revealed that the males were significantly |
| compression injuries than from herniated discs. | | | | stronger than females and isometric activities |
| With this type of evidence, it's easy to see why the | | | | produced significantly greater torque compared to |
| scorpion twist is a Stretching Don't. | | | | isokinetic efforts. The degree of trunk flexion was not |
| <a rel="nofollow" | | | | significant; the angle of rotation, although significant, had |
| onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' | | | | only a small effect. The 60 trunk rotation was |
| outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" ">Click here< | | | | significantly different from 20 and 40 of trunk rotation. |
| a> to see pictures of all of the Warm Up Don’ts | | | | (Kumar S.; Narayan Y.; Zedka M., Strength in combined |
| listed in this article | | | | motions of rotation and flexion/ extension in normal |
| Stretching Don't # 2: The Windshield Wiper (or Hip | | | | young adults, Ergonomics Volume 41, Number 6, 1 June |
| Crossover) | | | | 1998, pp. 835-852, Taylor & Frances Ltd.) |
| This is an exercise that I've seen show up in just about | | | | Pay particular attention to the concluding statement: |
| every system of training as either flexibility or as "core | | | | "Based on the results and analysis, it is suggested that |
| strength" exercise. I have even seen coaches load this | | | | the motion involved rather than the torque may have a |
| movement using a weighted medicine ball between the | | | | consequential effect in the precipitation of back |
| legs. | | | | injuries." |
| I myself was using both the loaded and unloaded | | | | This statement clearly explains that dysfunction can be |
| version of the windshield wiper until I read an article by | | | | created just by moving the spine in a non-functional |
| Coach Mike Boyle called, Is Rotation Even a Good | | | | manner regardless of load. So, as in the theme of this |
| Idea? In that article, Boyle referenced physical therapist | | | | article, it's imperative that we do our research and |
| Shirley Sarhmann, who in the book Diagnosis and | | | | choose our exercises wisely. |
| Treatment of movement Impairment Syndromes | | | | <a rel="nofollow" |
| Movement explained why movements like the | | | | onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' |
| windshield wiper contradict the biomechanics of the | | | | outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" ">Click here< |
| lumbar spine. | | | | a> to see pictures of all of the Warm Up Don’ts |
| "Rotation of the lumbar spine is more dangerous than | | | | listed in this article |
| beneficial and rotation of the pelvis and lower | | | | Conclusion |
| extremities to one side while the trunk remain stable or | | | | Remember what I said at the introduction: "If it doesn't |
| is rotated to the other side is particularly dangerous." | | | | make scientific sense, and it defies common sense, |
| (Sahrmann, pg. 72) | | | | then it's probably nonsense." Let's face it, with all of the |
| "During most activities, the primary role of the | | | | new training methods, styles, systems and opinions out |
| abdominal muscles is to provide isometric support and | | | | there, it can be difficult to decide what's really good |
| limit the degree of rotation of the trunk which, as | | | | and what's really good for nothing. Use this little |
| discussed, is limited in the lumbar spine." (Sahrmann, p. | | | | philosophy and the decision will become much easier. |
| 70) | | | | |