Rehabilitation in Lumbar Spine Injuries
An intense force on the waist might lead to a lumbar spine injury which involves the five vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis. The lumbar spine refers to the lowest portion of the spinal cord, consisting of the five vertebrae (L1-L5) below the thoracic section and above the minor sacral spine section. Symptoms of lumbar spine injury can range from mild pain to paraplegia with loss of function in lower limbs. With the proper recuperative measures through rehabilitation, patients can regain their independence and increase their strength and mobility. Lumbar spine rehabilitation focuses on strengthening lumbar muscles. Core exercises are done to enable spinal stabilization. An intense rehabilitation for patients who have undergone lumbar spine injuries generally involves the following treatment modalities. Core muscle strengthening: Strengthening exercises are carried out along with psychological assessment, for a holistic recovery. Human muscles are comprised of two types of muscle fibres namely slow/aerobic and fast/anaerobic. Posture and antigravity functions of the body are largely determined by slow muscle fibres whereas actions related to agility and strength are governed by the fast muscle fibres. A proper exercise program corrects muscular imbalance, leads to recruitment of muscle fibres, and strengthens muscles which helps...
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