Lower Ab Assessment

The lower abdominal coordination test is an incredibly valuable tool that  offers a tremendous amount of information. The person administering the test must know what to look for as there are numerous compensatory patterns that the client will utilize, often subconsciously.

In simplest terms, when lying supine on the floor with the feet flat, you should be able to move the femur around a stable pelvis with no other body parts moving or assisting.

In the video you see a device that resembles a blood pressure cuff that is used to gauge control of the pelvis. The cuff is placed under the lumbar spine and inflated. Most individuals are asked to perform a posterior tilt to raise the pressure to 70mmHg and keep it there +/- 5 mmHg as they flex the hip, moving the femur and lifting the foot off the ground.

If you have proper inner unit function, you can stabilize the pelvis and move the femur without any other body part assisting. If the pressure on the gauge increases, it means the pelvis is rotating back, flattening the spine. If the pressure on the gauge decreases, then the pelvis is rolling forward and the lumbar curve is increasing. Regardless, this is a sign of a lack of control or lack of inner unit function.

There are many ways in which the body can compensate. If you think about it, if you have difficulty keeping the pelvis stable and moving the femur around that pelvis while simply lying on the floor, can you imagine what is taking place when you squat, lunge, jump, land, and run? At best you lose power, efficiency, and performance. At worst you injure yourself either acutely or over time with an over-use injury.

Those who have difficulty with this and attempt to compensate most include practitioners of pilates, yoga, and floor-based abdominal exercises especially with added resistance. If you train the body with a flat lumbar spine, it learns to move with a flat lumbar spine leading to risk of injury and compromised performance.  

If you have had or currently have a lumbar injury, you will likely find this test difficult. It is, however,  vital to recovery, pain management, and ultimately your ability to participate in sports or your preferred activity. It is possible to retrain your neuromuscular system when movement is appropriate and progressive.