Core Stability and Motor Control
Domain 3: Core Stability and Motor Control
This domain tests how the nervous system controls trunk position during movement, not merely how strong the trunk is.
Rules
- Stability is control of position and force; strength is capacity to produce force. A strong client can still be unstable.
- Feedforward control precedes movement; feedback corrects after a disturbance.
- Co-contraction and intra-abdominal pressure increase stiffness. Bracing is task-specific, not maximal all day.
- Breathing must continue. Breath-holding raises pressure but can impair control and blood pressure regulation.
- Motor learning: start with awareness, then isolate, then integrate into functional patterns. Use external cues and variable practice.
Worked example
A client's low back arches during the dead bug. Rather than adding load, cue 'keep ribs over pelvis and exhale as the leg lowers.' Reduce range, slow the tempo, and use a hand on the pelvis for feedback. Progress only when the client keeps a neutral spine and breathes for eight controlled repetitions.
Traps
- Teaching 'navel to spine' as a universal cue.
- Confusing stiffness with stability.
- Progressing load before breath and alignment.
- Over-cueing many corrections at once.