Most people have at some time been told they need to work on their core, and that a 'weak core' is the cause of all their problems. We hear this almost every day in the clinic, and often see the results of well intended, but poorly applied core stability exercises. As osteopaths, we believe that before you can even contemplate working on 'the core', you have to attend to underlying mechanical dysfunctions in the body, predominantly around the pelvis and in the neck. Not doing so, is like building a house on poor foundations, or stitching up a wound that hasn't been properly cleaned out.
A host of studies has found that 'core stability' is little or no more effective than general exercise for the treatment of low back pain, The University of South Australia has a very informative and well referenced article on these studies.
Professor Eyal Lederman published this paper; 'The Myth of Core Stability', which is well worth a read, before you embark on a programme to strengthen your core.
