What is your core?
Your core runs from your diaphragm to your pelvic floor. It include the abdominal muscles: transverse abdominals, internal and external obliques, and rectus abdominus. It even includes a muscle located in your back called the multifidus.
Why is your core important?
Core is your body’s powerhouse. All of your movements generate from your core. You use your core to walk, sit, stand, breathe, and lift objects. Your core moves you and stabilizes you.
How does your core become weak?
Your core can become weak overtime. Poor posture weakens your core because sitting slouched and resting on a desk doesn’t activate your core muscles. When you don’t use them, they become weak.
If you just had a baby, childbirth makes that area weak. The diaphragm has gotten pushed by the baby for a few months, the abdominal muscles have been stretched, and the pelvic floor was stretched to get baby out.
When your core becomes weak, you are not able to move as well and your body becomes unstable. If you don’t work on strengthening and healing that area, your body will start to compensate using other muscles to do the work of the core. These muscles are not made to do the work they are now doing, which results in decreased strength and potentially pain. This results in dysfunction of the body.
What are some common problems that occur when your core/pelvic floor is dysfunctioning?
Diastasis Recti - your rectus abdominus muscles split
Decreased diaphragm function - your breathing becomes shallow
Urinary or bowel incontinence - inability to control function
Pelvic floor disorder - pain in the area, muscle weakness or tightness
One of the more common issues, urinary incontinence, has been deemed as normal postpartum side effect. It is not! It can and should be corrected.
When can you start strengthening your core?
If you just had a baby, please wait until you are cleared for physical activity by your physician. Usually this happens around the 6 week mark, but for some they may be cleared sooner. If you are not pregnant, you can work on strengthening your core now. It will help your core stay strong during pregnancy and strengthen faster after birth.
Who can help you with my core and pelvic floor dysfunction?
Chiropractors that are trained in assessing and correcting the movement of the core are a great place to start. They will be able to find out where your weaknesses are and have exercises to correct them.
Chiropractors are spine specialists. The nerves that come out of your spine supply muscles, tendons, and internal organs. In addition to correcting any abnormal movement patterns, they will assess your spine to see if there is any dysfunction there that may be altering your core and pelvic floor function. Correcting the spine and movement patterns may be all it takes for your core and pelvic floor to function normally.
There are also physical therapists that can do internal pelvic floor work if the problem cannot be corrected with exercises.
What are some exercises you can do to prevent the dysfunction from occurring?
Focus on breathing with your diaphragm
Practice good posture when sitting
Planks and side planks
Avoid sit-ups. They over-activate your rectus abdominus muscles and put too much strain on your low back.
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