3 Drills to Aid in Spinal Homeostasis



3 Drills to Aid in Spinal Homeostasis

No 2 spines are the same, therefore active therapy is necessary for the body can find it’s own groove and resting position. Certain things need to be earned by the client, and can not necessarily be implemented through therapeutic touch. We like these 3 drills as starting places to address lumbosacral, thoracic and cervical junctions as it relates to the individual, not a pre-determined “model. Because the off-season has developed into more of an in-season, due to the volume of training and practices, we sometimes see some of our athletes begin to have “cranky” backs. These drills have had success returning some of athletes to full training and practices.

There are 3 things we prioritize through these drills; tempo, breath and area of focus. The underlying principle of these 3 drills is maintaining abdominal pressure while creating controlled movement in the individuals dysfunction ranges. For all 3 movements, a closed scissor (approximated rib and pelvic position) is crucial to their efficacy.

Toe Sit to Squat: The areas of focus for this drill are the stomach and toes. Your toes should be active to control your range, using your stomach as your counterbalance. Exhale as you sit into your squat. The slower the better. (Lifting 1 knee at a time is an appropriate regression, if 2 is too difficult, or using your hands as shown.)

Prayer Breathing: The area of focus is the stomach. Using your abdominals to pull your ribs towards your hips, and your forehead to your knees (keeping your hips on your heels in not necessary as demonstrated. As a regression, use your hands for support as shown.)

Bear Rocking: The areas of focus is the CT junction and the stomach. Starting in a bear crawl position lift your knees 1 inch off the floor. Exhale and push yourself forward over your hands, driving your chin to your chest, protracting your shoulders and driving through the ground with your palms. As you inhale, sit back into an elevated child’s pose, keeping your knees of the ground (an appropriate regression is a static hold. Not shown.)