The straightening muscle of the spine is the most powerful and longest on the back. It fills the entire space on the sides from the spinous processes to the ribs. And in length, it runs along the entire length of the spine. It starts from the sacrum and extends to the very base of the skull. She takes part in turning the head and lowering the ribs. But the main function of the muscle straightening the spine is to keep the body in a straight position. In the process of evolution, thanks to upright posture, it became the strongest among the muscles of the body.
Anatomy of the muscular corset of the spine
The body in the correct position is held by many muscles of the back, abdominals and chest. They make up the muscle corset that protects the spine and internal organs. Some of these muscles are more significant, others - perform auxiliary functions. Human health depends on the condition of the spinal column , therefore, strong back muscles are very important, since they hold the vertebrae in place. Their value is great, since they participate in almost all movements.
The muscles that straighten the spine belong to the muscles that lie deep. They do the job of protecting and moving the spine. They also include the belt muscle of the back, which runs from the pectoral to the cervical vertebrae and is involved in the turns and tilts of the head. Many small muscle bundles make up the transverse spinous muscle of the back.
On top of these are superficial: trapezius, latissimus, rhomboid, upper and lower dentate muscles.
Structure
The deep back muscles, which are united under the same name, βstraightening the spine muscle,β are located along the entire spinal column. They are several small and large bundles of muscle tissue that attach to the pelvic bones, ribs, and transverse processes of the vertebrae. It is divided into three parts at the level of the upper lumbar vertebrae.
In the lumbar region, the largest muscle bundles extend from the bones of the pelvis and sacrum. At this point, the extensor function is performed by the muscle that straightens the spine. The attachment of its lumbar region in the upper part is carried out to the ribs and transverse processes of the vertebrae. Therefore, this part is also called the iliac-costal muscle.
The longest muscle of the back joins the transverse processes of the vertebrae. It is often considered as a whole with the ileo-costal, but it is located medially.
The spinous muscle of the back is attached to the spinous processes of the thoracic and cervical vertebrae.
Functions
It is also called the extensor or rectifier of the spine. The posture of a person, gait, and spinal health depend on the degree of development of this muscle. She participates in torso, bends, and balance. She stiffens when coughing, moving the diaphragm and during bowel movements. But besides this, the straightening spine muscle performs a static function. It supports the body in a straight position and ensures stability of the spinal column during any movements. It is these muscles that protect the spine from any damage, keep it in the right position.
The contraction of the individual parts of this muscle allows you to throw back your head, unbend various parts of the spine, lower the ribs. With its unilateral reduction, the body tilts to the sides.
The value of the muscle straightening the spine
It is from her work that the posture and the health of the spine depend. If this muscle is weak or affected by a disease, any movement of the person causes pain. It is problematic to just keep the body upright. If the spine is bent, the volume of the chest and abdomen changes, which leads to various diseases of the internal organs.
Problems arising in its functioning
Straightening the muscle of the spine often becomes the object of patient complaints. Throughout life, it withstands a huge load. After all, it should maintain the stability of the spine during any movements. And if there are any problems in its functioning, the spine loses mobility, is affected by various diseases. This usually occurs with increased stress, frequent weight lifting, hypothermia. Myositis, myalgia, lumbago may develop. Pain also occurs with osteochondrosis, displacement of the vertebrae, intervertebral hernia.
If, due to overwork, the muscle that straightens the spine is weakened, vertebral stability is impaired. Pain may occur due to spasm or pinching of the nerve roots. Especially often this occurs in the lumbar spine. Therefore, people who spend a long time in one position or subject their lower back to increased loads need to perform special exercises.
Muscles that straighten the spine: how to train and relax
A feature of these muscles is their slow recovery. Therefore, straining them is often not recommended. Training with strength exercises is best done no more than 2 times a week. The rest of the time you need to include exercises to relax and stretch these muscles. This will help relieve their spasm:
- The easiest exercise to relax the back muscles is hanging on the horizontal bar. It is recommended to be in this position for several minutes 2-3 times a day.
- Sit on a chair, legs apart, arms down. Exhaling slowly, alternately bend the spine in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, drawing in the stomach. On the inhale, straighten, straightening the back in the opposite order.
- Lie on your back, wrap your arms around the knees of bent legs. While inhaling, press down on your hands, as if trying to straighten them, exhale - bring your knees closer to your head.
How to strengthen muscles
The muscle straightening the spine performs the main task of keeping the body in a straight position. Therefore, it is very important to strengthen the muscular corset of the spine. Many diseases of the musculoskeletal system appear due to the very weak muscle that straightens the spine. Exercises will help strengthen her:
- You can start with the usual torso from a standing position. Then, to increase the load, weighting agents are added.
- Lie on your stomach on the couch, feet on weight. While inhaling, raise your legs, straining your buttocks, linger for 5-8 seconds, while exhaling - lower them below the level of the couch.
- A similar exercise is carried out when the upper body is in weight. Hands behind your head or on your belt, raise the body, holding up in the upper position for 5-8 seconds.
- Lying on his stomach, hands behind his head. Lift the upper body, sequentially extending the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. Hold in this position for 5-8 seconds.
- The starting position is the same. Pull your arms forward and, while inhaling, raise the upper body and legs at the same time.
In order for the back muscles to fulfill their tasks of protecting the spine and keeping it in the correct position, they need to be strengthened. Regular exercises, sleeping on an orthopedic mattress, and frequent breaks during sedentary work are important for this.