Why You SHOULD Perform Back Rehabilitation Exercises With A Rounded Back
February 28, 2010 | Author Kevin Yates
When it comes to back rehabilitation exercises and injury prevention we’ve all been taught to “keep your back straight”. Flexion and rotation of the spine seems to be one of the leading causes of back injuries and is known as a ‘back killer’.
So, would anyone ever want to perform corrective exercises with a rounded upper back?
Well, I’m probably going to make a tremendous number of health and fitness professionals cringe and shake their heads in disgust but the truth is this…
…a naturally rounded upper back is actually needed for a number of movements that you probably don’t even realize you and your clients are doing all the time and should be part of a back rehabilitation exercise program.
Try reaching in the washing machine or dryer for clothes, picking up your keys after dropping them on the floor, swinging a golf club, laying a baby in his/her crib, getting in and out of the car and the list goes on.
In fact, if you or your clients participate in recreational sports such as golf, tennis, softball or bowling there are times where a naturally flexed thoracic spine is necessary. If you don’t believe me then the next time a tennis match or golf tournament airs on television watch it and look closely at the positions the body is required to move in.
A tennis player reaching for a shot…
A golfer driving the ball of the tee…
A wrestler grabbing his opponent preparing to hip toss him to the mat….
A bowler approaching the line preparing to release the ball…
These are only some examples. In fact, in my tennis exercises video you’ll see it.
Have you ever seen a strongman competitor lift an atlas stone? If not, an atlas stone is a giant stone so big you have to bear hug it to lift it.
You can’t even come close to getting your arms completely around the damned thing either. The heaviest atlas stone in the World’s Strongest Man competition will most likely weigh over 340 lbs. Yet, rounded back and all these competitors lift those stones off the ground without wrecking their backs. 
It’s an amazing feat to watch!
The idea that flexion and rotation of the spine must be avoided because it will create shear forces to the intervertebral discs seems to have become commonplace. And, even with all the emphasis on avoiding sudden twisting and turning, injuries are on the rise.
But, a healthy thoracic spine has a natural, slightly kyphotic posture and is built for rotation.
The important thing to realize is that not ALL movements are always dangerous…Using inefficient muscle recruitment patterns and a lack of training multi-planar movements is.
The human body is meant to move in 360 degrees of motion. It is designed to flex, extend, twist and turn, squat and lunge, reach, push, pull and if I forgot anything else then that too…
Just look a baby beginning to walk.
They squat deep (like almost butt to the ground), they get up on one leg then the other (lunge version), they pull themselves up, they do all kinds of stuff and never injure themselves even though they often exert near maximum effort.
The REAL problem with most injuries is rarely the movement but using inefficient muscle recruitment patterns.
Typically, the muscles that are supposed to perform a movement are weak and/or inhibited which leads to compensation by other muscles that aren’t designed to perform that movement and before you know it an injury occurs.
Many sports and everyday movements happen in uncontrolled environments like reaching up high to get something out of the cupboard or running and reaching down to grab your child after she has suddenly sped off or even bracing yourself after slipping to avoid a fall…
We can’t always control EVERY movement that happens in life, but we can prepare our bodies for those movements in order to prevent an injury from happening.
Some excellent back corrective exercises that help stabilize the spine in it’s naturally flexed position are:
- Bodyweight Single Leg Squats (with the non-working leg out in front of you)
- Bodyweight Single Leg Reaches (in multiple planes)
- Bent Over Cable Rows
- Multi-planar Lunge & Toe Touches (w/bodyweight or a lightweight dumbbell)
Now, I’m not suggesting you load up heavy weights when training with the spine in it’s natural kyphotic position as that can definitely cause an injury, but rather using lighter loads with resistance bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, etc… for functional loading of the spine.
And, if you or a client has serious kyphosis of the thoracic spine (i.e. sway-back posture), herniated disc(s) or other conditions then medical referral is necessary.
As you can see, back rehabilitation exercises performed with flexion and extension of the spine are not movements that need to be avoided…
…They are movements that occur in sports and everyday life and we owe it to ourselves and our clients to make sure these (and all other movements) are properly prepared for.
9 Responses to “Why You SHOULD Perform Back Rehabilitation Exercises With A Rounded Back”
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Nice post, Kevin. I think some people don’t differentiate between the thoracic and lumbar spine when they say “keep your back straight, don’t flex the back.” To be clear, flexion of the low back (lumbar vertebrae) under load is very dangerous. The natural curvature of the back should be maintained with good lordosis of the low back when lifting. I see the natural kyphosis of the upper back reduced during rowing type exercises like bent over rows, cable rows, and even at the top of a deadlift. Should that be of concern?
Thanks for your comment. And, no I wouldn’t be concerned with the reduced kyphosis of the upper back during most exercises. It’s actually a good thing and I try to have my clients cue it.
However, I used to be really adamant about it until I began to realize that in many activities that happen during sports and life there are positions we can’t always control that we function within.
One of those is with natural kyphosis of the UB.
I wouldn’t necessarily tell a client to round the UB but if the load is fairly light and they demonstrate some UB kyphosis I would allow it. But, if a client comes in with serious UB kyphosis or back problems then I would focus their program on reducing that curvature and that would mean really focusing on keeping a straight UB.
As long as the loads lifted are light it should be ok for most healthy individuals. During exercises like bent over rows and deadlifts a straight UB becomes more important as the loads lifted become heavier and because at the bottom of those lifts the weight is further away from the body which places more stress on the spine.
But, say you’re performing various single leg movements like squatting, reaching or cable rowing. Then you might allow for natural kyphotic UB.
Have you shared the post with other colleagues and asked what they think?
I hope this helps,
Kevin
It is refreshing to read in this context. There are so many movements that years ago were advised NOT to let our clients do that we now have the right to follow (pending injuries/imbalances). I am sure it used to CAUSE imbalances as they were NOT functional (or allowing for functionality). Thanks for this interesting (as always) article Kevin.
That’s the cool thing about our industry; the fact that it is always changing as there are new discoveries happening all the time.
It’s interesting how so many movements are ill-advised yet we perform these movements all the time on an almost daily basis. It’s not the movements per se that are causing injuries but the lack of preparation for them combined with inefficient muscular recruitment patterns that are the real cause of pain and injuries.
Thanks for the feedback Cat.
Kevin
Kevin,
I love the post again, nice to see that there are other professionals out there that aren’t so rigid in their approach as to how things “MUST” be done a certain way…
I completely agree with you on the poor muscle recruitment and lack of physical conditioning that causes issues, especially a lack that means the body has an inability to return to it’s optimal posture; rounding the spine whilst moving or exercising isn’t an issue, it only becomes one if it is taken to excess or doesn’t return to it’s original position.
Keep the posts coming.
David
Personal Trainer Essex
nice post. thanks.
Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends!
Hi Kevin,
Great post. Thank you! I would like you to clarify one term, however, and that is “swayback”. I have typically heard and seen it used of those who have a lordotic, not kyphotic, posture. In viewing diagrams/photos of those with “swayback”, I see that there is actually a bit of both going on, but it seems to me that Lordosis is the prominent feature. Thanks for your help on this.
Thanks Teri.
In Swayback posture there is a long exaggerated curve of the T-spine along with some increase in the lordotic curve of the lumbar spine.
Individuals with Kyphosis-Lordosis will share similar postural characteristics of Swayback but with more of an exaggerated lordosis of the lumbar spine.