How do I activate my multifidus muscle?

[alex nielsen]

I am a great believer in strengthening the core and I am aware of how to activate my transversus abdominus but still a little uncertain I am properly activating my lumbar multifidus.

Does someone know of any exercises that easily isolate the muscle.

Many thanks for your help.

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[linbin]

I am a great believer in strengthening the core and I am aware of how to activate my transversus abdominus but still a little uncertain I am properly activating my lumbar multifidus.

Does someone know of any exercises that easily isolate the muscle.

Many thanks for your help.

HI,
One method described is to lie on you tummy...then imagine that your spine is like a bow...and try to approximate your both ends of the spine ie;your head and coccyx..but dont let the movement occur..i mean the effort should be isometric...you can ask your friend to place his fingers over your low back paraspinal muscles.So that you will get feedback once the muscle contracts...

second method ...is an advanced one..where lower limb movement is used to recruit multifidus...

Lie on your tummy...place your legs slightly apart and rotated outward.now slighly bend your legs and press the posterior aspect of heels together...slighly lift the bend knees off the ground..say;10cms still maintaining the heels pressed together...hold for 8-10 seconds..then slowly bring down the legs...release the pressure between the heels..once the leg touches the ground..

hope it is helpful
Cheers
Linbin

[ch niskit]

Linbin -

What data do you have to support your recommendation? The multifidii are 2 layers deep & impossible to palpate, let alone claiming to understand how they're recruited. We still don't know exactly how the multifidii are recruited, so it's speculation until we have data supporting this notion.

ch

[physiobob]

Don't be so pedantic! The multifidus works to support the spine during flexion rotation movements, Interestingly I remember doing some EMG studies in the early 90's that showed myoelectric silence after 90 degrees forward bend. (sorry no RCT I can cite on that one). Maybe it was due to a contraction in that position might be dangerous for the lumbar discs.

Anyway why would anyone want to work multifidus in isolation? It is not used in isolation and therefore that would be training a non-functional movement pattern which would not carryover necessarily to functional activity. It would want to train it go play some tennis and hit a few hundred backhands.

A simple active exercise would be 4 point kneeling. Then opposite arm flexion and leg extension. You can progress it to then take the extended elbow to the opposite knee (slowly) and then faster while maintaining balance. Sorry no RCT on that either. To be honest there are dosens of exercises that can recruit this in synergy with general movement. A few images attached non of which are my fav's but give a starting point for ideas