Learning about the muscles that support the lower trunk and that are typically considered your "core" muscles are a part of understanding how your body works. It can help you understand your physical structure and help you figure out what may be causing problems for you. Here's a list of core muscles that help support your spine and inner organs:
1) Transverse abdominals-your body’s own natural corset. The deepest level of core muscles that extends from back body’s fascia in the lower back around to your front body’s rib cage, pubic bone and center of the abdomen. These muscles are deep stabilizers of the spine.
2) External obliques- on the side of the abdomen, from the 5th-12th ribs to the center of the abdomen, pelvis and pubic bone. There are obliques on each side of the trunk and they help rotate and flex the trunk.
3) Internal obliques-on the side of the trunk, under the external obliques with fibers going in the opposite orientation of the external obliques. These muscles rotate the trunk, flex the trunk to the front and to the side, compress the organs, can increase intra-abdominal pressure to stabilize the spine and can help with exhaling your breath.
4) Psoas major-the deepest spinal stabilizer that runs from each side of the lumbar spine through the pelvis and attaches onto each femur. There is fascia that connects the upper end of the psoas to the diaphragm. It flexes the hip bringing the knee toward the chest.
5) Quadratus lumborum-connects the lower rib cage to the pelvis on each side of the body. Helps hike the pelvis and bring the ribs downward.
6) Multifidus-connects one vertebra to the vertebra that is 2 and 3 above. Small muscles that run from the neck to the sacrum. This small muscles are spinal stabilizers.
7) Erector spinae-group of 3 muscles that runs along the spine from the base of the skull to the pelvis. Helps with upright standing by extending the spine. There’s a set of these 3 muscles on each side of the spine
8) Latissimus dorsi- starts at the back edge of the pelvis via the thoracolumbar fascia and attaches into the front of each shoulder. Helps with shoulder extension and internal rotation.
9) Diaphragm- separates the lungs from the abdominal organs. Creates the pressure changes in the lungs to expand and contract. Works with the pelvic floor to help control abdominal pressure. Has fascial connections to the psoas and thoracolumbar fascia.
10) Pelvic floor-muscles that support the abdominal organs, runs from the coccyx (tail bone) to the pubic bone. Helps provide support during urination, defecation, and sexual activity. Works with the diaphragm to control abdominal pressure.
Stay tuned! Coming up over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more details about these muscles including methods of assessing how strong they are, exercises that you can do to strengthen them, myofascial techniques to learn how to lengthen them and release tension. I am looking forward to this journey, and I hope you are, too!
Take good care,
Sharon