Is It True Lumbar Instability or Just an Inhibited Core?

In this video, we explore the important difference between true lumbar instability and functional instability caused by core muscle inhibition. When the muscles responsible for stabilizing the spine are inhibited, a joint can sometimes feel loose or unstable even when the underlying mechanical structures are not truly unstable. One important concept discussed is muscle facilitation. Using techniques such as prolonged holds and PNF-based approaches, clinicians may be able to facilitate inhibited muscles relatively quickly in some patients. Patients may need to learn how to recognize when their core is not activating effectively, how to perform appropriate self-facilitation exercises, and how to modify daily movement and posture. Repeated practice can help the newly activated muscles become better integrated into normal movement. Some patients have genuine structural or mechanical instability. This may occur in people with significant hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), or chronically overstretched spinal segments. In these situations, simply activating the core may not be enough to control excessive movement. The video discusses examples of this phenomenon in ballet dancers, where repeated movement toward lumbar extension can contribute to excessive motion and instability. These patients may require much more extensive rehabilitation focused on strength, neuromuscular control, movement retraining, and stabilization. 👉🏻 Is It True Lumbar Instability or Just an Inhibited Core? – Listen to Gregg Johnson break down the reality of treating stubborn chronic pain and complex dysfunctions. Learn how to move away from instantly assuming the problem is located right where it hurts, and start using full-body functional assessments (like watching your patients walk, crawl, and roll) to identify hidden mechanical restrictions and properly facilitate the core. 💡 In this video, you'll learn: ✅Lumbar instability vs. core muscle inhibition ✅How inhibited core muscles can make a joint feel unstable ✅PNF and prolonged holds for muscle facilitation ✅Why pain can re-inhibit core muscles ✅The effect of poor posture and prolonged sitting ✅Home exercises and self-facilitation strategies ✅Neuromuscular control and motor control ✅True lumbar hypermobility and instability ✅Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and spinal instability ✅Lumbar instability in ballet dancers ✅Mechanical, neuromuscular, and motor-control factors ✅A 10-step approach to lumbar instability ✅Rehabilitation strategies for improving spinal stability Understanding whether a patient has true structural instability or a controllable neuromuscular problem can significantly influence clinical decision-making. The key is to assess the whole system rather than assuming that every feeling of looseness or instability represents a mechanically unstable spine. 👍If you're interested in low back pain, lumbar spine stability, core activation, PNF techniques, neuromuscular control, motor control, hypermobility, or physical therapy, this video provides a deeper look at how these factors can interact. Timestamp:- 00:00 – How long it takes to facilitate inhibited core muscles 00:24 – How pain and posture can re-inhibit the core 00:46 – Home self-facilitation and lifestyle changes 01:11 – How injury history affects muscle inhibition 01:41 – Understanding lumbar instability and the 10-step protocol 02:02 – Mechanical, neuromuscular, and motor control factors 02:23 – True hypermobility and instability in the lumbar spine 03:14 – PNF integration and the lumbar instability protocol 🎥Link to interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ss1RJp20-tY 🎙Listen on all platforms: https://bit.ly/45rzffO 🍁 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝐏𝐓 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 🍁 In this channel, you will find Physical Therapy-related content, like interviews with experts who share their views and experiences, providing relevant information to help Physical Therapists improve their practice and patient care! 📩 Don't miss out on podcast updates!📬: https://www.ptprotalk.com/ 🌐𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐞 𝐎𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 https://www.instagram.com/ptprotalk/ https://www.facebook.com/ptprotalkpodcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/pt-pro-talk/ https://twitter.com/MariHannaParks 🎧Spotify: ptprotalk ✅𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇 📧 📩Email: mariana@ptprotalk.com 🕵️‍♂️Thank you for visiting our channel and watching all our videos. Support 💁‍♂️ PT Pro Talk Podcast is only possible with the support of forward-looking and innovative companies like: Hanna Health: https://hannahealthhub.com/hep and SaRaHealth: https://bit.ly/saraytb #LumbarInstability #CoreInhibition #CoreStability #CoreActivation #LumbarSpine #SpinalInstability #LowBackPain #PhysicalTherapy #Physiotherapy #PNF #MotorControl #NeuromuscularControl #SpineRehabilitation #Hypermobility #EDS #LumbarStability #Rehabilitation #ManualTherapy #SportsRehab #ClinicalReasoning