Creating Stability via Osseous Approximation

The idea of “core” stability has been a buzz topic for over a decade.  Kinesiologists, strength and conditioning professionals, chiropractors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, etc. have all been on board with its importance.  It is generally accepted that one must establish and maintain a rigid core for the extremities to produce and transfer force. What is often overlooked or under appreciated, is by what means a “stable core” is achieved.  Now, just to be clear, when I say “core” I also include the pelvis and scapulae.  

Through my years of experience as a strength and conditioning professional and later as a PT I have seen an overwhelming trend of people with “strong cores” develop serious overuse and degenerative injuries that stem from what other people may term “weak cores”.  To digress, weak is not always weak and strong is not always strong. What I mean is a person will develop a particular motor program to achieve a specific task, and will often utilize the most effective and efficient means necessary to achieve the desired goal, independent of biomechanics and proper movement.  This allows people to appear physically strong and successful in sport while they lack strength or neurological control. Often they will be “weak” in a particular posture or movement pattern because they do not understand how to coordinate and control their body in this position. Their “strength” can improve rapidly as they learn to coordinate and recruit their muscles properly.  

Relating back to the discussion of generating a “rigid” core, I see a lot of athletes and people do this via osseous approximation.  People will attempt to create stability by utilizing the passive structures of the body. By passive structures I am referring to the connective tissue and bones.  They will unconsciously move the joints into a “closed packed” position. This means there is decreased joint space, increased contact between the bony surfaces, and increased tension on the connective tissue within or around the joint.  As this relates to the core, a commonly demonstrated pattern is an increased lumbar lordosis with an anterior pelvic tilt. This position creates an approximation of the facet joints generating bony stability in the lumbar spine and also approximates the hip as the acetabulum glides anteriorly over the femoral head.  With the bones “jammed” into each other and tension placed on the surrounding connective tissue, the individual has created a rigid core to produce and transfer force from. 

Unfortunately, this position of osseous approximation will cause degenerative changes and also hinder or impair freedom of movement.  The catch is, the athlete will continue to resort to this posture or pattern to create stability as they do not understand how to create it otherwise.  Athletes are the best at compensating because they figure out what they need to do to accomplish their physical task, regardless of the means they achieved it. 

Thomas Meyers in his book anatomy trains described the body as a tensegrity structure.  This idea has resonated with me and my understanding of the body and movement. It is vital to coach our athletes and clients to create stability by generating rigidity through our tensegrity structure.  This means, utilizing the fascial lines and musculature to stabilize the joints of the body in open and lengthened positions. Furthermore, they must learn to transfer this rigidity through the kinetic chain with reciprocal relaxation for freedom of movement.

In terms of clinical application, this transfers to properly coaching and instructing movement patterns with an emphasis on proper biomechanical alignment, awareness, and control.  This emphasis will likely disadvantage an athlete or client in the weight room and they may not be able to lift as much weight. But if the goal of training is to prevent injury and enhance performance, shouldn’t efficient and correct movement be the emphasis rather than the weight lifted?  Furthermore, if we can increase muscular strength with less external loading and stress on the joints, isn’t that a win, win? 

I see a lot of people at the gym and on instagram adding external loads to basic movement patterns like bridges and planks.  The problem is, the athletes and clients cannot perform a proper bridge or plank without utilizing the osseous approximation discussed earlier.  They are now reinforcing faulty, limited movement and inducing unnecessary mechanical stress on the joints.  

Pay attention to HOW your clients and athletes are performing their basic movement patterns.  Do not allow them to give themselves a mechanical advantage by approximating the joint surfaces and causing impingement throughout the body! Impingement (osseous approximation) is a compensation for instability!  Emphasize proper lumbopelvic and scapulothoracic positioning rather than weight lifted.  Try utilizing long lever arms with low loads and creating rigidity via muscular contraction rather than osseous approximation.