When you are doing Pilates you are training core musculature. But do you really know what the core musculature consist of? Let’s discuss this for a moment. First of all let’s discuss the inner, starting with the deepest layer of back muscles

There are a group of 4 or 5 very small muscles deep to the spine termed thetransversospinals:

· Rotatores

· Interspinalis

· Intertransversarii

· Multifidus (creates bulk of lumbar muscles)

· Semipsinalis

These muscles typically span one joints or up to 4 or five joints in the spine and can easily be damaged in a whiplash type injury causing scar tissue and TrP’s, pain and segmental instability.

Next is the inner unit is the abdominal muscles. There is an embryological split with the lumbar somites migrating to become the low back, pelvic floor and lower abdominal muscles, where they meet the upper abdominals that grow out of the thoracic somites. The upper and lower abs meet at the linea alba and navel.

There is also a neurological split with the upper abs innervated by the costal nerves from T5 to T11 (segmental), the lower abs are innervated by the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves (T12 – L1). The main inner unit abdominal muscle is the transverse abdominus. It is an extensor of lumbar spine through fascial connections and alos a semental stabiliser. Resisted blowing exercises good for tva recruitment

Now lets consider the outer unit muscles of the back.

There is the Erector spinae, which are Phasic – fast twitch muscles. These are Important for females. They consist of:

· Spinalis (bulk of mid back)

· Longissimus (bulk of thoracolumbar junction)

· Iliocostalis

Accessory back muscles consist of the:

· Iliopsoas – Tone in the psoas is critical for the lumbar curve. They also help to stabilise the thoracolumbar junction. The Kidneys and adrenals reflex into the psoas. If the kidneys are inflamed by food intolerance or the adrenal fatigued with stress it decreases psoas tone.

· Quadratus lumborum – Tonic, slow twitch. TrP’s can cause reflex inhibition in abdominals. The ovaries, uterus and lower GI tract refer to QL

· Latissimus dorsi – Unilateral lat dorsi tightness can cause scoliosis.

Outer unit muscles of the abdominals consist of:

· Diaphragm – Phrenic (C3, 4, 5) also innervated from intercostals nerves

· External oblique

· Internal Oblique

· Rectus abdominus