The muscle groups 

Talking about the back muscles can become just a little complicated! In total, we have 18 muscles that activate movement at the back of the torso, and these can be roughly divided into three layers: Five superficial muscles which are found just beneath the skin and are more concerned with movements of the shoulder girdle; two intermediate muscles (found a little deeper) which help support the thoracic cage, and finally eleven deep spinal muscles which create movement at the vertebral column itself. With limited blog space (and attention span) to cover all 18 muscles, we will simply dive straight into the depths of the deep spinal muscles themselves.

From head to toe (not quite)

So firstly we mustn’t forget the back muscles don’t just stop at our C1 (very top) vertebra. They also control movements at the head, right down to the pelvis, and are responsible for keeping our spine super straight. They help to act as our core, working alongside the abdominals to keep us supported and stable at a point from where we can function. Erector Spinae (ES) is made up of three separate muscles but collectively it holds us in a good standing and sitting posture, it also actively extends the back up from a bent-over position, it allows us to bend to one side or the other, and helps us twist from side to side. But of course what we need to be aware of is how this muscle is constantly working against gravity to keep our spine straight and our head looking where we are going! Unless we are lying down flat (or slouching very badly on a sofa!) this muscle never gets a time out. In fact, a great example of the ES in full activation is when working in a Locust Pose in yoga, or the Superman pose in training - classically with the spine being extended against gravity and using body weight as resistance.

 

Diving, Jumping, Running, Throwing…. The list goes on!

So if Erector Spinae is working all the time that we are upright, what happens when we are doing sports? The logical answer is that it is working much harder than normal, and recruiting different muscle fibres. From the twist needed in a golf swing, to the back extension needed to hit those high tennis volleys, your back muscles are working overtime. Runners and hikers, skiers, rowers and swimmers, there isn’t one sport we can think of that doesn’t use our back muscles – even lying down on a luge requires great upper back strength!

But what of the muscle fibres themselves? ES is a good all-rounder. Using Type I muscle fibres for day to day stability of the spine, but when needed, recruiting those Type II fibres necessary for quick, intense powerful movements. Studies have shown that there is some difference between male and female muscle fibre type of ES – women tending to have proportionally more Type I endurance fibres than men, but generally we all have a dominance of Type I fibres as our spine has the constant stress of keeping us upright. (Mannion et al, 1997))

Constantly fatigued!

We all know the feeling of being stretched to our limits (pun intended) - so lets have some sympathy for our Erector Spinae which is mostly always working from an over-stretched position! How often are we standing or sitting in a good anatomically correct position? How often do we feel the need to stretch out our spine to give it some relief? The weight of our head always tends to lean forwards bringing the upper spine with it into that forward stooping position too, or what about our posture when working at a desk all day? All of these factors place ES in a stretched position and make it even more of a challenge to keep our spine straight. We really are giving our long spinal muscles a very hard time! So what can we do about it?

The SMARTSHIRT and the SMARTBELT

The diPulse SMARTSHIRT is in a league of its own with regard to electrode placement for muscle stimulation. Not only are the shoulders, arms, chest and abdominals covered, but the electrodes placed on the back of the shirt allow for precise and efficient stimulation of the spinal muscles.

If you are the proud owner of a diPulse SMARTBELT, and use it regularly for abdominal muscle development, then you can reverse the belt, placing it level with the lower or mid thorax to stimulate the back muscles. Being such a small garment, it also has the versatility and simplicity to provide targeted stimulation to all of the core stabilizing muscles – abdominals and spine – very simply.

diPulse has you covered!

So which program should we use? The diPulse Resistance program will prepare the spinal muscles for the prolonged effort needed from ES, or try using the Core Stabilization program, which is specifically designed to support the abdominals and the spinal muscles. If you want to gently begin using muscle stimulation to your Erector Spinae while you workout to double the effect of your session, then why not start with the diPulse CMT program? Combined Muscle Training has been shown to recruit additional muscle fibres when coupled with active exercise, so it’s worth spending that extra physical effort to achieve even greater results from your diPulse garments.

Again, thinking of the yoga pose Locust, or the Superman exercise - these actively extend the full spine giving you full ES activation. But after all that working out, don’t forget the diPulse Relaxing Massage program to help return those muscle fibres to their optimum functionality and make your spinal muscles feel great! Now you’re prepared to get that spine in great shape, so what’s stopping you? Don’t forget to check out our Instagram TV for some more ideas about how to use the diPulse products for your spinal muscles!

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References:

Gaia (2020) Locust post accessed at https://www.gaia.com/article/article-salabhasana-locust-pose

Knapp, S (2020) "Erector Spinae" in Biology dictionary accessed online at https://biologydictionary.net/erector-spinae/

Mannion, A. F, Dumas, G. A, Cooper, R.G, Espinosa, F. J, Faris, M. W, Stevenson, J.M, (1997), "Muscle fibre size and type distribution in thoracic and lumbar regions of erector spinae in healthy subjects without low back pain: Normal values and sex differences" in Journal of Anatomy, 190:4;505-513 

Thorstensson, A, and Carlson, H, (1987) Fibre types in human lumbar back muscles, in Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 96:131:2;195-202