Welcome to the Lumbar Spine!

Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments of humankind. Nearly every person will have an episode of low back pain at some point. In the lumbar series, you will learn how the lumbar spine moves, impacts the nervous system, and -most importantly- how to efficiently and effectively treat the lumbar spine.

In this series, you will learn how the lower back connects and coordinates the entire body. A healthy low back should be able to move in all directions and subtly adapt to the many stresses that our bodies must handle. This ability to tolerate and slow down forces in the spine is driven by our core muscles (see anatomy section!). When weakness or stiffness is present, the spine loses its segmental adaptability and excessive strain loads the tissues. Clinically, this is seen as a disc injury, compression fracture, paraspinal muscle strain, and so forth.

The lumbar series includes both lecture based content (see lecture format below) as well as training videos and case studies. Integrated within these lectures, Dr. Jim Heafner guides you through his detailed lumbar spine evaluation process.

Specific Lecture

·     Anatomy & Biomechanics

·     Differential Diagnosis

·     Examination and Assessment

·     Advanced Treatment Techniques

·     Clinical Practice Guidelines

·     Sahrmann Movement Impairment Syndromes

·     Repeated Motions

Self Lab Work

Record a video of yourself performing the major movements of the lumbar spine. In this video, perform flexion, then extension with arms overhead, then left and right side bend, and finally left and right rotation. As you perform each movement, take inventory on how each direction feels. Spending time to do this exercise will help you better understand the symptoms (and associated painful feelings) that your patients and clients experience.

Before recording, mentally answer these questions:

Flexion: Can you touch your toes? How much knee bend is required to touch your toes?

Extension: Does it hurt to backbend? If yes, where? If yes, is that spot 'hinging?'

Rotation and Side bend: Is one direction stiffer than the opposite? Do you feel compression in your spine at end range of motion?

After recording your video:

Go to the next section and learn about lumbar spine anatomy & biomechanics. Analyze your video in relation to the content presented. Feel free to share your video on the group Facebook page to get feedback from the instructors and others in the program.