The 3 Keys to Being Pain Free: Core Strength

The Core, the section o the body between the ribs and the pelvis, is the most complex musculoskeletal system we have. Comprised of 9 bones and over 40 muscles, integration of these muscles and bones is vital for smooth, pain-free movement & health of the spine.

The body possesses an incredible ability to compensate. If the primary muscle is not capable of doing its job, because of fatigue, injury, or adhesions, the body can utilize secondary muscles to get the work done.This comes at a cos, though. Muscles are now being used in ways that they are not designed, which causes these secondary muscles to fatigue more quickly and perpetuates the cycle. This is not good, at least in the long term. The body is capable of short-term compensation because it is innately much less concerned about the long run. This is a primitive response. Injure your ankle while running away from a bear or hostile tribesman, for example, and the body must utilize secondary muscles to allow you to keep running, otherwise death is almost certain. Compensatory use of muscles very much serves a purpose, but often at a significant cost. 

The Core is no exception. In fact, it is the most vulnerable. The human body was not designed to sit for prolonged periods of time. Modern lifestyles entice people to sit in front of computers or watch television for hours, often without a break. This causes the muscles to either:

• Hold a particular position for prolonged periods, which they are not designed to do, causing them to fatigue
• Not be used at all, causing disuse atrophy

The body hates imbalance. Arthur Guyton, MD, the most respected physiologist in the past 100 years, states that balance of the body's systems, homeostasis, is the essential function of each and every bodily system. The body burns 60% to 75% of its energy on the muscles. The core muscles demand a large percentage of this energy. When they are imbalanced or inefficient due to disuse atrophy, they rob the body of its precious energy resources. This produces extra lactic acid and other waste by-products, which result in pain, besides the instability of the joints that these muscles are supposed to support.