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Core Stability Training for Injury Prevention
Resource: Sports Health
Background:Enhancing core stability through exercise is common to musculoskeletal injury prevention programs. Definitive evidence demonstrating an association between core instability and injury is lacking; however, multifaceted prevention programs including core stabilization exercises appear to be effective at reducing lower extremity injury rates.
PubMed was searched for epidemiologic, biomechanic, and clinical studies of core stability for injury prevention (keywords: “core OR trunk” AND “training OR prevention OR exercise OR rehabilitation” AND “risk OR prevalence”) published. Articles with relevance to core stability risk factors, assessment, and training were reviewed.
What did we learn?
Moderate evidence of alterations in core muscle recruitment and injury risk exists. Exercise programs to improve core stability should focus on muscle activation, neuromuscular control, static stabilization, and dynamic stability.
What can we do to improve our practice?Comprehensive assessment and training require a multifaceted approach to address core muscle strength, endurance, and recruitment requirements for functional demands associated with daily activities, exercise, and sport.
