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Spine and Trunk Muscles Anatomy: Including the curves, vertebrae, joint actions, muscles, and trunk and core exercises.

Lesson 18: The Spine and Trunk Muscles

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I have almost completed my CPT certification and am half-way through the Human Movement certification to inform my massage practice. The different modalities of reading, watching audiovisual materials, and attending live or recorded webinars have been important to my learning style and for review.

Brookbush Institute has the most detailed, specific and effective tools for online learning for movement and/or bodywork professionals. I love the combination of the videos as well as the text available online.

I recently completed the CPT course. It was demanding yet practical. I would highly recommend it for anyone wanting an education about human movement.

I have my personal trainer certificate through here and am almost finished my human movement specialist certification. Overall, the education that Brookbush has packaged together for clinicians and trainers is invaluable. I am a physio assistant so coming from more of a rehab background I appreciate that this education has been beneficial both as a trainer and in a rehab setting. I love that I have been able to do all learning at my own pace and able to work around my schedule. Thank you for setting up this platform! Highly recommend :)

I have been a massage therapist for 10 yrs and I feel like all the “pieces” I’ve learned throughout the yrs have been put into place and can see the full picture. I am also a member to tons of great content since I love to learn! I plan to get my CPT through them as well.

I have been following Brent Brookbush for nearly a decade- back when I was a personal Trainer and now as a Physical Therapist. BBI is an incredible resource for any movement nerds and corrective exercise specialists! The information is thorough with multiple real world applications. I am looking forward to an in-person Manual Therapist course the second they do one a little bit closer to Virginia ;)

I have taken both the Human Movement Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer certificate programs and have found the value in understanding the how and ways the body moves and functions and from evidence, non-biased, outcome, conceptual, theoretical, and practical approach to helping my clients/patients look better, feel better, and move better.

Over the last years I've returned time and again to Brookbush Institute for stellar coursework as I've worked toward a Human Movement Specialist certification. (I'm currently ACE CPT, and in training with Anatomy Trains for Structural Integration Manual Therapy.) Every Brookbush Institute module is fantastic and each one includes detailed informational videos, written descriptions of how to-do, and, more importantly, why to-do!

I am a 70 yr old chiropractor and no other healthcare provider was able to come up with an exercise protocol particular to my structural and balances and muscle deficits and keep me in the game. And as for continuing education on human skeletal movement, the website is phenomenal full of great exercises for particular mechanical dysfunction.

The H.M.S. is the most valuable certificate I have earned and was a fraction of the the cost of my others. Define the best bang for your buck!

Brookbush is the most efficient Personal Training Certification I have ever come across. All the lessons are well thought out and very straight to the point.

I am getting my Master's degree in Kinesiology, and I would like to say that I have benefited greatly from the rich, comprehensive, well-documented scientific content of Brookbush Institute that links theory to practical applications. Proudly I've got my CPT certificate, and I am on my way to get my HMS certificate.

Having courses count towards different certifications makes it so users can transition seamlessly from one certification to another. In my case, going from earning the BI CPT to earning the BI HMS was an easy decision and I am proud to have earned both certifications. I have also had the pleasure of going to a Live HMS workshop that was well taught by Instructor Boettcher and that was excellent to see how the methods and techniques are implemented.



I have been a member of BBI for years and every course I have taken has been incredibly informative. I learn more from these courses than I do at local CEU courses for my PTA license. I also earned my CPT and HMS certifications through the platform. It was so convenient and the content was top notch! Forever member.

We learn principles in academia, we learn cool new modalities via whatever specialty certification, but BBI really concentrates on the nuances of passive treatment and they do a fantastic job. The format in which BBI instructs soft tissue specialists (DPTs, Chiros, ATs) like myself feels like almost like an apprenticeship. You get a thoroughly detailed explanation of the “why’s”, and a visual comprehension of how to apply. Personally, I believe application is where the good and the great are distinguished.

Brookbush has been incredibly helpful since I was in massage school and now as I’m in my career! I run my own practice and it gives me the resources I need to not only improve what I already know, but also help me navigate better, more efficient ways of treatment.

Totally loving the convenience and affordability of this program with my crazy lifestyle! I feel like I am getting a quality education without a massive cost! My favorite part is the videos I can watch in the courses. I learn so much better that way. Once I really spent more time on the site, I figured out how to maneuver around a lot better! I enjoy the sense of humor, as well as the easy explanation, and short tests. And if I am really tired, I can have the computer read me the lessons. 😁

Challenging concepts are explained in very understandable terms without dumbing down the material, and I find this program to be superior in quality to other personal training programs.

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Certified Personal Trainer

Spine Joint Actions, Muscles, and Exercises

A decrease in angle between two body parts. In the spine, flexion is bending forward.

 Rectus abdominis, External obliques, Internal obliques, Psoas (if hips and pelvis are fixed)

 Crunch, Reverse crunch, Planks (isometric flexion)

 (Sagittal Plane): An increase in angle between two body parts. In the spine, extension is bending backward.

 Erector spinae, Multifidus, Latissimus dorsi

 Hyper-extensions, Superman’s, Cobras, Yoga: Upward Facing Dog

 A frontal plane joint action of the spine that results in a decrease in the angle between two bones. Lateral flexion is the technical terminology for side-bending. 

 Quadratus lumborum, External obliques, Internal obliques, Unilateral erector spinae

 Side-bending, Side planks (isometric lateral flexion)

 Rotation refers to twisting or spinning of the bones of the spine around a vertical axis. For example, the motion of the cervical spine when signaling "no" with the head and neck.

 External obliques, Internal obliques, Multifidus, Erector spinae (possibly)

 Up chops, Down chops, Russian twists, Oblique crunches

This course describes the landmarks and basic anatomy of the spine (vertebral column) and pelvis, the joint actions of the spine and motions of the pelvis, as well as an introduction to the spine and trunk muscles. The joints of the spine include the zygapophysial joints and vertebral disks, the joints of the pelvis include the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) and pubic symphysis, and the joints of the ribcage include the costovertebral joints at the thoracic spine and the sternocostal joints at the sternum.

The muscles covered include the rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, psoas, multifidus, quadratus lumborum (QL), and latissimus dorsi. This course includes a discussion of the joint actions, the contributing muscles, and practical examples of common exercises. For example, a chop pattern is primarily trunk rotation, which is the result of increased muscle activity of the external obliques, internal obliques, ipsilateral erector spinae, and contralateral multifidus. The abdominal crunch is an example of trunk flexion, and the result of force generated by the rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, and psoas. And, supermans include trunk extension, resulting from an isometric contraction of the multifidus, erector spinae, and potentially the latissimus dorsi. Note, the muscles of the trunk, are also referred to as “core muscles” and play an important role in maintaining optimal posture and optimal arthrokinematics of the trunk, pelvis, and ribcage.

Sports medicine professionals (personal trainers, fitness instructors, physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, etc.) must know the anatomy and function of the trunk muscles and vertebral column for the analysis of human movement, and the development of sophisticated exercise programs and therapeutic (rehabilitation) interventions. Further, this course is essential knowledge for future courses discussing detailed anatomy like neural innervations (e.g. sacral plexus, femoral nerve, sciatic nerve), synergistic function of muscles (e.g. recruitment of trunk and hip muscles for spine stability), injury (e.g. low back pain, altered muscle activity, atrophy of the posterior muscles of the spine), and sports performance (e.g. best programming for optimizing trunk muscle strength and/or trunk muscle power).

Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) Certification

Pre-approved for Continuing Education Credits for:

The vertebrae and facet joints of the vertebral spine

Course Description: Spine Joint Actions & Trunk Muscles

The Spine and Trunk Muscles Study Guide

Course Study Guide: The Spine and Trunk Muscles

In this video, we define the joint actions of the trunk (zygapophysial joints of the lumbar spine) which include flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral flexion. We also describe the number of vertebrae of each spine segment (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, coccyx), and which type of curve corresponds to each segment. This course also covers examples of each joint action, and movement analysis of several common exercises. This is foundational knowledge for all movement professionals, including personal trainers, physical therapists, athletic trainers, massage therapists, chiropractors, occupational therapists, etc.

Course Video Lesson: The Spine

Cervical Vertebrae – The 7 vertebrae of the neck.

Thoracic Vertebrae – The 12 vertebrae with bony attachments to the 12 pair of ribs.

Lumbar Vertebrae – The 5 vertebrae of the low back

The vertebral spine with segments separated into cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx

General Anatomy of the Spine - By Henry Vandyke Carter - Henry Gray (1918) Anatomy of the Human Body, invalid ID (See "Book" section below)Bartleby.com: Gray's Anatomy, Plate 111altered by User:Uwe Gille, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1282158

 of the spine are "gliding joints", allowing a small amount of motion in various directions. The large amount of movement we see from the spine is actually the summation of small amounts of motion at dozens of little joints. See the activity below for more on what joint actions the spine can perform.

The Spine

In this lecture we will be discussing the 

Muscles That Cross the Trunk (The muscles that "cross" the lumbar spine):

 c.1400, from Old French rectifier, literally “to make straight” (14c.), from Late Latin rectificare “make right,” from Latin rectus “straight” (see 

 (adj.1)) + root of facere “to make” (see 

 "lying across," early 15c. (earlier transversary, c.1400), from Latin transversus "turned or directed across." (

 1540s, "belly fat," from Latin abdomen "belly," which is of unknown origin, perhaps from abdere "conceal," with a sense of "concealment of the viscera," or else "what is concealed" by proper dress. (

 early 15c., from Middle French oblique (14c.) and directly from Latin obliquus "slanting, sidelong, indirect," from ob "against" (see 

) + root of licinus "bent upward," from PIE root *lei- "to bend, be movable" (see 

 (n.1)). As a type of muscles, in reference to the axis of the body, 1610s (adj.), 1800 (n.). Related: Obliquely; obliqueness. (

 1530s, "one who builds," agent noun in Latin form from 

 (v.). In reference to muscles from 1831. The children's building kit Erector (commonly known as an Erector set) was sold from 1913. (

 c.1400, "backbone," later "thornlike part" (early 15c.), from Old French espine "thorn, prickle; backbone, spine" (12c., Modern French épine), from Latin spina "backbone," originally "thorn, prickle" (figuratively, in plural, "difficulties, perplexities"), from PIE*spe-ina-, from root *spei- "sharp point" (see 

 (n.1)). Meaning "the back of a book" is first attested 1922. (

Multifidus - from the latin roots “multi” and “findire”, translating roughly to “to split into many parts”. (

 "square-shaped muscle," 1727, from Latin quadratus "square, squared" (see 

 "pertaining to or situated near the loins," 1650s, from Modern Latin lumbaris, from Latin lumbus "loin" (see 

Lumbar Vertebrae - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Lumbar_vertebrae_-_close-up_-_animation2.gif

Introduction

In this video, we describe the trunk muscles which include the rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, transverse abdominis, psoas, erector spinae, multifidus, quadratus lumborum (QL), and latissimus dorsi. We identify the relative location of these muscles, as well as describe the joint actions associated with each. This course explains how these muscles contribute to trunk (zygapophysial joint) flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation, with many examples of daily activities, sports motions, and movement analysis of several exercises. This is foundational knowledge for all movement professionals, including personal trainers, physical therapists, athletic trainers, massage therapists, chiropractors, occupational therapists, etc.

These muscles have attachments on the on the ribs, spine and pelvis, and will play a role in motion of the lumbar spine (a.k.a. trunk). Before we analyze each muscle, take a moment to create a "Joint Action Word Bank" by listing all possible joint actions.

What are the joint actions of the spine? 

Note: The terms external rotation, internal rotation, abduction and adduction do not pertain to the spine.

The sections of the spine including the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccyx

The location of the external oblique muscles on the iliac crest and pelvis

The attachment of the rectus abdominis on the ribcage and pelvis

The attachment of the internal oblique muscles on the ribs and pelvis

The attachment of the transverse abdominis muscle on the linea alba, pelvis, and thoracolumbar fascia

The attachment of the erector spinae on the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral regions of the spine

The attachment of the quadratus lumborum (QL) on the ribcage and iliac crest

Study Guide

Video Lesson: Trunk Muscles

 Iliac crest, rectus sheath, inguinal ligament

The attachment of the external obliques, running from the ribcage to the pelvis

External Obliques (Obliquus Externus) - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Gray392.png/479px-Gray392.png

External Oblique Activity

External Oblique Activity: Answer Key

External Obliques

The attachment of the rectus abdominis running from the ribcage to pelvis

Rectus Abdominis - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Rectus_abdominis.png

Rectus Abdominis Activity

Rectus Abdominis Activity: Answer Key

Rectus Abdominis

 Thoracolumbar fascia, iliac crest, lateral 2/3 of inguinal ligament

The attachment of the internal oblique on the pelvis and thoracolumbar fascia to the ribcage

Internal Obliqeus (Obliquus Internus) - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Gray395.png

Internal Oblique Activity

Internal Oblique Activity: Answer Key

Internal Obliques

 Last 6 ribs, thoracolumbar aponeurosis, iliac crest

The attachment of the transverse abdominis running from the thoracolumbar fascia to the linea alba

Transverse Abdominis - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Transversus_abdominis.png

Transverse Abdominis Activity

Transverse Abdominis Activity: Answer Key

Transverse Abdominis

 All transverse and spinous processes, from the lumbar spine to the skull

The longissimus, iliocostalis, and spinalis muscles of the erector spinae complex

Erector Spinae - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Gray389_-_Erector_spinae.png

Erector Spinae Activity

Erector Spinae Activity: Answer Key

Erector Spinae

 Posterior surface of the sacrum, the dorsal end of the iliac crest, the mamillary and transverse processes of the lumbar and the thoracic vertebrae, and the articular processes of the 4th - 7th cervical vertebrae.

 Spinous processes of all vertebrae except the atlas

The attachment of the multifidus on the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine

Multifidus - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Multifidi.png

Multifidus Activity

Multifidus Activity: Answer Key

Multifidus

 12th rib and lumbar transverse processes

The attachment of the quadratus lumborum on the ribcage and iliac crest

Quadratus Lumborum - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Quadratuslumborum.png

Quadratus Lumborum Activity

Quadratus Lumborum Activity: Answer Key

Quadratus Lumborum

Carolyn Richardson, Paul Hodges, Julie Hides. Therapeutic Exercise for Lumbo Pelvic Stabilization – A Motor Control Approach for the Treatment and Prevention of Low Back Pain: 2nd Edition (c) Elsevier Limited, 2004

John V. Basmajian, Carlo J. De Luca. Muscles Alive: Their Function Revealed by ElectroMyography. 1985

Lesson 18: The Spine and Trunk Muscles

Related Courses:

Course Description: Spine Joint Actions & Trunk Muscles

Course Study Guide: The Spine and Trunk Muscles

Course Video Lesson: The Spine

The Spine

Introduction

Video Lesson: Trunk Muscles
1 Sub Section

External Obliques
2 Sub Sections

Rectus Abdominis
2 Sub Sections

Internal Obliques
2 Sub Sections

Transverse Abdominis
2 Sub Sections

Erector Spinae
2 Sub Sections

Multifidus
2 Sub Sections

Quadratus Lumborum
2 Sub Sections

Bibliography

Related Courses:

Comments

Guest

Lesson 18: The Spine and Trunk Muscles

Related Courses:

Course Description: Spine Joint Actions & Trunk Muscles

Course Study Guide: The Spine and Trunk Muscles

Course Video Lesson: The Spine

The Spine

Introduction

Video Lesson: Trunk Muscles1 Sub Section

External Obliques2 Sub Sections

Rectus Abdominis2 Sub Sections

Internal Obliques2 Sub Sections

Transverse Abdominis2 Sub Sections

Erector Spinae2 Sub Sections

Multifidus2 Sub Sections

Quadratus Lumborum2 Sub Sections

Bibliography

Related Courses:

Comments

Guest

Video Lesson: Trunk Muscles
1 Sub Section

External Obliques
2 Sub Sections

Rectus Abdominis
2 Sub Sections

Internal Obliques
2 Sub Sections

Transverse Abdominis
2 Sub Sections

Erector Spinae
2 Sub Sections

Multifidus
2 Sub Sections

Quadratus Lumborum
2 Sub Sections