Roman chair hyperextension bench as part of a spinal rehabilitation program for back pain
To help answer the question of
whether hyperextension exercises in a Roman chair are appropriate as part of
your spine rehabilitation program, first let me give you some background on
the topic. Then I will describe the muscle control problems that arise.
with back pain. Next, we must set goals for rehabilitation and
Determine the specific training requirements to achieve those goals. And finally, I will 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: Little deep
strength muscles, Y deep stabilizer muscles. Each one has his own
Unique features.
Think about superficial
strength muscles They have “sprinter type” muscles. These muscles contain the same
type of muscle fibers that are highly developed in the legs of the Olympics
sprinters. They are excellent for producing speed during a 100-meter race, but poor.
for endurance during a marathon. In contrast, the deep stabilizer muscles
are more like “marathon-type” muscles (superior for endurance but poor for
speed).
In healthy individuals,
main role of superficial force muscles lower back and
abdomen is to move the torso. (The torso is defined as: the human body excluding
the head, neck and extremities. This part of the body is also known as the trunk.
So these muscles move the rib cage, lumbar spine, and pelvis.)
Responsible for controlling trunk posture during high-level activities. Thesis
Activities can include: lifting, pushing, pulling, jumping, running, and other
Ballistic (rapid) movements of the limbs.
In contrast, the deep
stabilize muscles of the back and abdomen are used to provide a continuous
Torso postural adjustments throughout the day at low levels.
activities. Some examples of low-level activities are: sitting, standing,
move 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 inferior strategy. First the deep stabilizer
muscles stop working properly. Second, the superficial force muscles
of the trunk become hyperactive and its muscle fibers shorten to restrict
trunk range of motion.
This hyperactivity / shortening
The answer is recognized by experts as the brain’s attempt to “block” and
protect painful torso segments during the acute phase of injury.
This pattern of compensation generally continues after it is no longer needed.
during the chronic phase of back pain (when injured soft tissue structures
have healed).
The strategy to use
“Sprinter type” muscles to try to maintain trunk posture throughout the day.
how to force 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. So to speak, this strategy would not be very effective.
But, other problems arise secondary to muscle fatigue and the consequent
spasm resulting in compression of the disc and joint.
Rehabilitation goals and
Specific training requirements
Just as the objectives and specific training requirements of sprinters are different
that for marathon runners, there are also big differences in goals and
Specific training requirements for a rehabilitation program versus a basic program.
Exercise routine.
In rehabilitation, one of our
The objectives would be to free the superficial force muscles. (Remember
that have “blocked” the injured region of the spine).
achieved through slow, low-load, pain-free movement patterns focused on
lengthening the superficial force muscles while relaxed. This is
something that I describe to my patients as a relaxed muscle release exercise
(Do not confuse with muscle stretch exercise).
While it is true that we must stretch the fascia and the related non-contractile
tissues, it is important to recognize that muscles must be released while
relaxed. This is necessary to reestablish the muscle axes that
control resting tone set point and muscle length.
The idea of a relaxed
muscle release Exercise is definitely a mindset change. Meaning
is that the typical hyperextension exercises performed on a Roman chair bench are
it is not appropriate for the initial stages of rehabilitation for chronic back pain.
If he superficial force muscles of the back and abdominal wall
are hyperactive (they contract too much) and muscle fibers shorten to
restrict the range of motion of the trunk, then “strengthening” exercises would not be the
type of exercise suitable for rehabilitation.
Our next goal would be to retrain the deep stabilizer muscles in its
role as main trunk stabilizers during low-level activities. This is
difficult to achieve in a person with chronic back pain as the superficial
strength muscles are trying to fill that role by overhiring and
shortening to restrict movement in the previously injured torso region.
Therefore, an aggressive exercise using a Roman chair that emphasizes the
superficial force muscles torso and hips may neglect activation
tea deep stabilizer muscles adequately. A more specific training
An approach is required.
An important one deep
stabilize 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
is a slow, low-load extension movement that occurs at each vertebra, rather than
keeping the lower back curve in a locked position while moving through
the hips. This exercise should be easy enough for 30 reps.
without fatigue.
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
hyper bench extension chair. The design of the traditional 90 degree exercise.
The angle is too difficult and is not designed properly to promote
Training requirements for spinal rehabilitation. This kind of Roman chair
emphasize the hamstrings, glutes and superficial force muscles from
the lower back. It is also likely that training in the 45 degree exercise
The angle will be too difficult and not specific enough.
Fortunately, a solution has
developed that can be designated as a hybrid of the Roman chair hyper
extension bench. It’s called the Kettler Medical Back Trainer
(made in Germany). The Back Trainer Medic was designed to ensure the
correct movement pattern, whereby the individual segments of the lumbar multifidus are
properly trained. The torso pad is curved and the height of the pad
is adjustable, thus guiding the user through correct torso movement to
spinal rehabilitation.
The specific exercises that I
show my patients the performance of the Back Trainer Medic to meet the two objectives that I
discussed earlier in this article: First, release the surface force
muscles of the back (through muscle relaxation exercises), and second,
retrain the deep stabilizer muscle of the back, called lumbar
multifidus (through a slow, low-load extension movement that occurs at each
vertebra). 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 initial stages of spinal rehabilitation. Is
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 virtually eliminates the hamstrings from
exercise to focus your efforts more specifically on training
lumbar multifid muscles.