This document provides information about core stability and mobility. It discusses the inner and outer units of the core and their roles in stabilizing the spine. The inner unit, made up of transversus abdominis and other deep muscles, serves to stiffen the spine for activity. The outer unit provides gross stabilization around the spine. Both units must work together synergistically like guy wires on a ship's mast to maintain stability without risking injury to the spine. A lack of core stability can lead to increased fatigue, pain, and poor performance over time. Signs of instability include jaw clenching, gripping, toe clawing, diaphragm tension, and face grimacing. The document aims to provide reliable information on

1. By
Brian Huxley
Reflexive Core Stability

2. Aims & Objectives
Aims:
To provide you with reliable information
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3. Anatomy re-cap, inner and outer units.
The Inner Unit
The Inner Unit serves to
stiffen the axial skeleton in
preparation for work. The
Inner Unit muscles are
A) Transversus Abdominis and
the posterior fibres of
oblique internus,
B) Diaphragm,
C) Deep Multifidus,
D) Pelvic floor musculature.
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4. The Outer Unit
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The outer unit muscles of the trunk
demonstrated here:(A) rectus abdominus, (B)
internal and external oblique, (C) erector
spinae; the outer unit actually contains other
muscles, which have been excluded for
simplification. The inner unit, which contains all
the muscles is demonstrated here as (D); the
multifidus acting as segmental stabilizers for
the purpose of controlling joint stiffness. To
tighten the guy wires (A-C), which provide gross
stabilization of the ship's mast without
synergistic tightening of the segmental
stabilizers (D) would obviously result in
increased potential to buckle the mast. The
mast represents your spine!

5. Movement never lies…. (how stable are you?) 5

6. Everybody has a movement dysfunction
They just don’t know it… yet!
When they know… PAIN!
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7. When they don’t?
• Increased fatigue
• Activities of Daily Living Impacted (small)
• Decreased durability
• Pain relievers
• Tightness/stiffness/aches
• Decreased mobility
• Poor performance
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8. Primal Chains 8
• Push
• Pull
• Twist
• Lunge
• Squat
• Bend

9. 5 Hidden Signs of Instability
1. Jaw clenching 2. Diaphragm
3. Toe Clawing 4. Gripping
5. Face grimacing, Lip biting
(Holding breath)
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10. What is mobility? What is stability? 10