To help answer the question of
whether hyperextension exercises in a roman chair are appropriate as part of
your spinal rehabilitation program, let me first give you some background on
the topic. Then I will describe the muscle control problems that arise
with back pain Next, we need to set goals for rehabilitation and
determine the specific training requirements to achieve those objectives. And finally, I’ll describe the problems inherent in traditional Roman chairs, followed by a solution.
muscle control during
optimal health
Research has shown that there are two types of muscles: Superficial
muscular strengthY deep stabilizer muscles. Everyone has their own thing
Unique features.
Think about superficial
muscular strength they have “sprinter-type” muscles. These muscles contain the same
type of muscle fibers that are highly developed in the legacy of the Olympic Games
sprinters They are great at producing speed during a 100 meter race, but poor
for endurance during a marathon. On the contrary, the deep stabilizer muscles
they are more like “marathon type” muscles (superior for endurance but poor for
speed).
In healthy individuals, the
leading role of superficial strength muscles of the lower back and
abdomen is to move the torso. (Torso is defined as: The human body excluding
the head, neck and extremities. This part of the body is also known as the trunk.
Therefore, these muscles move the rib cage, lumbar spine, and pelvis.) They are also
responsible for controlling trunk posture during high-level activities. Thesis
Activities may include: lifting, pushing, pulling, jumping, running, and other
ballistic (rapid) movements of the extremities.
On the contrary, the deep
stabilizer muscles of the back and abdomen are used to provide continuous
postural adjustments of the torso throughout the day during low level
activities. Some examples of low-level activities are: sitting, standing,
moving from a sitting position to a standing position, walking and slow (non-ballistic)
limb movements.
Muscle control problems that arise with back pain
After experiencing back pain, the brain’s strategy for maintaining trunk posture
changes to a simplified lower strategy. First the deep stabilization
muscles stop working properly. Second, the superficial strength muscles
of the trunk become hyperactive and their muscle fibers shorten to restrict
trunk range of motion.
This overactivity/shortening
response is recognized by experts as the brain’s attempt to “block” and
protect the painful segments of the torso during the acute phase of the injury.
This pattern of compensation usually continues after it is no longer needed.
during the chronic phase of back pain (when injured soft tissue structures
have healed).
The strategy of using
“sprinter type” muscles to try to maintain trunk posture throughout the day is
like forcing an olympic sprinter to compete in a marathon, instead of the 100
meter board. Obviously, the sprinter’s muscles are built for speed, not
endurance. To say the least, this strategy would not be very efficient.
But, other problems arise secondary to muscle fatigue and the consequent
spasm resulting in disc and joint compression.
Rehabilitation goals and
Specific training requirements
Just as the specific training goals and requirements for sprinters are different
that for marathon runners, there are also big differences in goals and
Specific training requirements for a core rehabilitation program
Exercise routine
In rehab, one of our
objectives would be to release the superficial force muscles. (Remember
that have “locked” the injured region of the spine.) This is
achieved through slow, low-load, pain-free movement patterns focused on
lengthening the superficial strength muscles while you are relaxed. That is
something I describe to my patients as a relaxed muscle release exercise
(not to be confused with muscle stretch exercise).
While it is true that we must stretch the fascia and related non-contractile
tissues, it is important to recognize that muscles must be released while
relaxed. This is necessary to restore the muscle spindles that
control the resting tone set point and muscle length.
the idea of a relaxed
muscle release exercise is definitely a mindset changer. What does it mean
is that typical hyperextension exercises performed on a roman chair bench are
it is not appropriate for the initial stages of chronic back pain rehabilitation.
If he superficial force muscles of the back and abdominal wall
are hyperactive (contract too much) and muscle fibers shorten to
restrict the range of motion of the trunk, then “strengthening” exercises would not be the
appropriate type of exercise for rehabilitation.
Our next goal would be to retrain the deep stabilizer muscles in its
role as the main stabilizers of the trunk during low-level activities. That is
difficult to achieve in a person with chronic back pain as the superficial
muscular strength are trying to play that role by overhiring and
shortening to restrict movement in the previously injured region of the torso.
Therefore, an aggressive exercise using a novel chair that emphasizes the
superficial force muscles of the torso and hips can stop activating
tea deep stabilizer muscles properly. More specific training
an approach is required.
important one deep
stabilizer muscle from the back is called lumbar multifidus.
This muscle inserts into each segment of the lumbar spine up to the sacrum and
pelvis. The Specific Workout I Recommend on a Back Exercise Machine
It is a slow, low-load extension movement that occurs at each vertebra, rather than
keeping the lower back curve in a locked position as you move through
the hips. This exercise should be easy enough to do 30 repetitions.
without tiredness
The problem and the
Solution
The specific training requirements for the rehabilitation of lumbar multifidus are not
likely to be accomplished as part of a home exercise program in a traditional novel
hyper extension bench chair The traditional 90 degree exercise design.
angle is too difficult and not properly designed to promote the specific
Spinal rehabilitation training requirements. This type of roman chair
emphasize the hamstrings, glutes and superficial force muscles of
the lower back is also likely to exercise training at 45 degrees
angle will be too difficult and not specific enough.
Fortunately, a solution has
developed that can be designated as a hybrid of the hyper Roman chair
bank extension. it’s called the Kettler Medic Back Trainer
(made in Germany). The Back Trainer Medic was designed to ensure the
correct movement pattern, so the individual segments of lumbar multifidus are
properly trained. The torso pad is curved and the height of the pad
is adjustable so it guides the user through the correct torso movement for
spinal rehabilitation.
The specific exercises that I
show my patients how to act with the Back Trainer Medic fulfill the two objectives that
discussed earlier in this article: First, release the surface force
muscles of the back (through exercises to release relaxed muscles), and second,
retraining of deep stabilizer muscle of the back, called lumbar
multifidus (via a slow, low-load extension movement that occurs in each
vertebra). The specific exercises are also shown on a DVD video, so my
patients can view it at home as an additional guide.
The Back Trainer Medic has six levels of difficulty. The easiest level is
easier to perform than the 45 degree exercise angle of a Roman chair, making it
most appropriate for the early stages of spinal rehabilitation. East
allows the user to progress to higher levels of difficulty while the lumbar
The multifidus muscles adapt by improving motor control and increasing in size.
Another advantage is that this machine practically eliminates the hamstrings from
exercise so that your efforts are more specifically focused on training the
Lumbar multifidus muscles.