Improving Core Stability
with Active Release Techniques
By Dr. Brian Abelson
DC. Calgary, Alberta, Canada
http://www.drableson.com/
http://www.activerelease.ca/
In
this article
Imbalances Affect Performance and Lead
to Injury
Why exercise alone may not correct
these imbalances
Addressing Core Stability with Active
Release Technique (ART)
About Active Release
Techniques
|
Whether you swim, run, or cycle, it is essential to have core stability to maximize performance and prevent injury. The core of your body is where you derive your power; it provides the foundation for all arm and leg movements. Your core must be strong, flexible, and unimpeded in its movements to achieve maximum performance. Motion is not an isolated event that occurs in one direction. Body movement is a complex event involving agonists and antagonists structures that work together to create motion and to stabilize the body in all three directional planes. |
|
What Makes Up the CoreThe foundation of your core is much more than just your abdominal muscles. It includes muscles that lie deep within your torso, right up to your neck, and your shoulders. The core includes the following structures:
These muscles connect to the spine, pelvis, and shoulders to create a solid foundation of support. When these core muscles are strong, flexible, and move freely, then the athlete is able to generate controlled, powerful movements in his/her arms and legs. |
|
Imbalances Weaken Your Core
Training long hours does not guarantee that you have core stability. In fact, spending too much time working within one plane of motion often creates core imbalances. Add these imbalances to stresses caused by poor posture during running, and the repetitive motions of swimming, and you have an equation for the development of a weak core.
Often the athlete tries to correct these imbalances by heading to the gym to strengthen weakened areas. Unfortunately, since many weight machines only work through one plane of motion (usually sagittal), these strengthening exercises only reinforce core instability.
Imbalances Affect Performance and Lead to Injury
Optimum posture is based on the attainment of a balance between primary muscle movers and their opposing muscles. This is referred to as a force coupled relationship – when muscles act in opposition to each other to create a movement. An imbalance is created when one muscle group is overworked in comparison to its opposing structure.
|
Most cyclists focus on their hamstrings, quadriceps, and gluteals and forget about the importance of core stability. Consider how many hours the triathelete spends bent over in a flexed position on the aero bars, with no rotational or side bending motions. A strong core is needed to counter-balance these forces.
With a focus on the core, a cyclist can generate more power and can sustain a higher level of intensity for longer periods. A stronger core also means less stress on the primary muscle movers and a delay in the build up of lactic acid. |
Even minor changes such as brake position can affect core stability.
|
Following the Kinetic Chain
Consider how the chronic shortening of just one muscle can affect
performance and cause injuries. There
are multitude of different muscle groups we could focus on, but for our example
we will chose the rectus abdominus muscle.
|
The rectus abdominus is often shortened by doing crunches, hanging leg raises, or by spending an excessive amount of time bent over the aero bars. The rectus abdominus attaches from the fifth to the seventh ribs. As this muscle shortens, it has the effect of:
If we follow the kinetic chain, what started as a shortening of an abdominal structures ends up affecting posture, shoulder rotation, arm position, and even the positioning of the hands. |
|
Running
Now consider how a shortened rectus abdominus affects a triatheletes performance during running. Although opinions about the ‘ideal running form’ vary greatly, most authorities will agree that the less energy you expend, the more effective your running style.
The following table illustrates how an imbalance in the rectus abdominus decreases the runners ability to run efficiently.
|
Common running recommendations |
How a shortened rectus abdominus affects
your running |
|
|
|
As this example shows, by following the kinetic chain, it is not hard to see
how one shortened muscle soon affects numerous aspects of the athletes
performance. This is only one example.
When performing a biomechanical analysis, it is very common to see numerous
imbalances of which the athlete is completely unaware.
Why exercise alone may not correct these imbalances
|
Many effective exercises can help correct core stability imbalances. Some of the best exercises include Swiss Balls, wobble boards, and foam rollers in combination with exercises that combine strength, flexibility, and address all planes of motion. However, it is still common to see triatheletes who continue to have
numerous imbalances and problems with core stability even when they are
carrying out excellent exercise programs, using all the right exercises, and
working in all planes of motion. |
This is because these exercises do not address one very important issue - soft tissue adhesions that formed due to muscles imbalances.
Soft tissue imbalances coupled with the repetitive motion of constant training causes the body to lay down restrictive adhesive tissue that binds soft-tissues structures (muscle, ligaments, tendons, fascia, nerves, and circulatory structures) together.
These restrictions cause a considerable amount of internal pressure within the tissue. This pressure leads to friction and inflammation, and eventually the formation of additional layers of adhesions or scar tissue.
The athlete can never achieve full core stability, flexibility, and strength until these adhesions and restrictive connections are removed. Attempts to strengthen muscles bound by adhesions often cause the structure to become more restricted, which in turn causes additional tension within the soft-tissue, which then cause further imbalances that decrease performance and cause injury.
About Inflammation and Adhesions
The body responds to inflammation by laying down scar tissue (cross fibers across the tissue) in an attempt to stabilize the affected area. This scar tissue:
Restricts motion.
Reduces circulation.
Inhibits nerve
function.
Causes ongoing
friction and pressure.
Results in the production of yet more cross
fibers and adhesions across inflamed soft-tissues (The
Repetitive Injury Cycle, Copyright Dr. Mike Leahy)
Addressing Core Stability with Active Release Technique
(ART)
The first steps in dealing with issues of core stability should be the
analysis, identification and treatment of restrictions that inhibit motion.
Active Release Technique is specifically designed to do just this.
ART practitioners start the procedure by performing a specific biomechanical analysis of the athlete’s motion. This analysis is used to determine where specific restrictions are located along their entire kinetic chain. Your core area is the first place an ART practitioner will evaluate. After evaluation, appropriate ART protocols are then applied to remove restrictions and restore or improve function.
About Active Release Techniques
ART treatments are specific and based upon the individual needs of each athlete. ART does not use a cookbook approach to treating a non-specific diagnosis.
ART® finds the specific tissues that are restricted and physically works them back to its normal texture, tension, and length by using various hand positions and soft-tissue manipulation methods.
Effective treatment of any soft-tissue restriction requires an alteration in
tissue structure that breaks up the restrictive cross-fibre adhesions and
restores normal function to the affected soft-tissue areas. When executed
properly, this process treats the root cause of the injury, and improves
athletic performance.
You can find a qualified ART provider by visiting the official Active Release Techniques website at. www.activerelease.com. You can also call ART headquarters at 1-888-396-2727. At your next Ironman race, look for the ART Performance Care tent. Our soft-tissue experts are available to help you reach your full potential.
ART Performance Care…….Perform at your
best.
Dr. Brian Abelson DC, ART
http://www.activerelease.ca/
http://www.drabelson.com/
Copyright: Dr. Brian
Abelson 2003. All rights reserved.
|
Dr. Brian Abelson is Clinical Director of Kinetic Health® . Dr. Abelson is a native Calgarian who graduated from
Palmer College of Chiropractic West with an award for clinical excellence,
holds a Level 3 Active Release Certification, and is an ART Assistant
Instructor. He is also the author of
the award winning websites: www.drabelson.com
and www.activerelease.ca . Kinetic Health® Clinic Bay #10, 34 Edgedale Drive N.W. |