Comment résoudre le syndrome du croisé inférieur avec Somatiques Cliniques Exercices

Dans cet article, j'expliquerai ce qu'est le syndrome du bas-croisé et les schémas musculaires impliqués. À la fin de l'article, j'énumère les exercices Somatiques Cliniques qui sont les plus efficaces pour corriger le désalignement postural.

Qu'est-ce que le syndrome de la croix inférieure ?

The term “lower crossed syndrome” was coined by Dr. Vladimir Janda, a Czech neurologist, professor, and researcher. Dr. Janda was a pioneer in the field of rehabilitation, and he founded the rehabilitation department at Charles University Hospital in Prague, Czechoslovakia. His work was in line with what we teach in Clinical Somatics: that the function of the nervous system can lead to muscular imbalances and dysfunctional posture and movement, which in turn can lead to chronic pain syndromes.

Lower crossed syndrome describes a pattern of tight and “weak” or inactive muscles in the core of the body. As shown in the diagram at the top of this post, these tight and inactive muscles form an X when viewed from the side of the body.

Dans ce schéma, les muscles extenseurs de la colonne thoracique et lombaire et les fléchisseurs de la hanche (iliopsoas, rectus femoris et autres) sont chroniquement tendus. Les muscles qui effectuent les actions opposées - les abdominaux (abdominaux transverses, obliques internes et externes, et grand droit) et le grand fessier - sont inactifs.

In Clinical Somatics, we refer to this postural pattern as Green Light posture or the Action Response. These are all just different terms for the same muscular pattern.

Lorsque les extenseurs thoraco-lombaires et les fléchisseurs de la hanche deviennent chroniquement tendus, faisant basculer le bassin vers l'avant et créant une cambrure exagérée dans le bas du dos, les abdominaux et le grand fessier sont de moins en moins sollicités. Il devient de plus en plus difficile de contracter volontairement ces muscles pour qu'ils puissent remplir leur fonction, car ils doivent lutter contre les muscles opposés qui sont maintenus tendus par le système nerveux. Ainsi, les abdominaux et les fessiers sont qualifiés de "faibles", alors qu'il serait plus juste de les qualifier d'inactifs ou d'inhibés.

Working to activate these inactive muscles will not be productive unless you also release the chronically tight antagonist muscles. As they release, you’ll become better able to develop voluntary control and strength in the inactive muscles.

Le syndrome du bas-croisé peut s'accompagner des affections suivantes ou en être un facteur causal

• Tensions et douleurs dans le bas du dos
• Hyperlordose
• Tension et douleur des hanches
• Dégénérescence discale
• Sciatique
• Syndrome du psoas iliaque
• Syndrome de la hanche qui claque
• Syndrome du croisé supérieur

Pourquoi développons-nous le syndrome de la croix inférieure ?

Pourquoi les extenseurs du dos et les fléchisseurs de la hanche deviennent-ils suffisamment tendus pour provoquer le syndrome du bas-croisé ? Et pourquoi cela arrive-t-il à certaines personnes et pas à d'autres ?

Le mouvement et le niveau de contraction de nos muscles sont contrôlés par notre système nerveux. La façon dont nos muscles bougent et à quel point nous les maintenons contractés est en fait apprise au fil du temps par notre système nerveux.

Notre système nerveux apprend certaines façons d'utiliser nos muscles en fonction de la façon dont nous choisissons de nous asseoir, de nous tenir debout et de bouger chaque jour. Notre système nerveux remarque les postures et les mouvements que nous avons tendance à répéter, et il rend progressivement ces postures et ces mouvements automatiques, de sorte que nous n'avons pas besoin d'y penser consciemment.

This learning process—that of developing what we refer to as Mémoire musculaire—allows us to go through the activities in our daily lives easily and efficiently. Unfortunately, if we tend to repeat unnatural postures or movements, our nervous system will learn those too. Our automatic neuromuscular learning process doesn’t discern what is good or bad for us—it just notices what we tend to repeat, and makes it automatic.

Certains types d'entraînement athlétique peuvent entraîner un syndrome croisé inférieur, y compris, mais sans s'y limiter :

• Dance: due to flexing the hips, arching the back to achieve upright posture, and arching the lower back to compensate for limited lateral rotation in the hips
• Gymnastics: due to arching the back, doing back bends, and flexing the hips
• Weightlifting: due to overusing the back muscles when lifting
• Running: due to overuse of the hip flexors

Mais il se peut aussi qu'aucun entraînement physique particulier ne soit à l'origine de votre syndrome croisé inférieur. Les schémas de tension musculaire peuvent simplement se développer au fil du temps en fonction du niveau de stress, de la personnalité et des activités quotidiennes régulières.

As your nervous system gradually learns to keep your muscles tight, gamma loop activity adapts. This feedback loop in your nervous system regulates the level of tension in your muscles. As your brain keeps sending the message to contract your muscles, gamma loop activity adapts and starts keeping your muscles tight all the time.

Meanwhile, your proprioception (your internal sense of your body position) adapts so that you’re not aware of the increased level of tension in your muscles. Your proprioception also adapts to your body position; so as your nervous system gradually starts holding your lower back in an arch and your pelvis tilted forward, it will feel to you as though your lower back and pelvis aligned correctly.

Les exercices Somatiques Cliniques les plus efficaces pour résoudre le syndrome croisé inférieur

First, if you’re not familiar with pandiculation and why it’s the most effective way to reset gamma loop activity and release chronic muscle tension, I recommend that you read What is Pandiculation?

Below I’ve listed the exercises from the Level One & Two Courses that are most helpful for releasing the pattern of muscle contraction present in lower crossed syndrome. Pandiculation exercises don’t just release chronic muscle contraction—they also improve voluntary control of inactive muscles. So, there are exercises listed below that work with the abdominals and gluteus maximus as well as the thoracolumbar extensors and hip flexors.

If you’re just starting your Clinical Somatics practice, be sure to read Developing Your Own Daily Practice.

Si votre temps et votre attention pour pratiquer ces exercices sont limités, je vous recommande de faire les quatre premiers exercices énumérés ci-dessous (Arch & Flatten" type="g, Back Lift" type="g, Arch & Curl" type="g, et Iliopsoas Release" type="g), suivis de Proprioceptive Exercise" type="g {1} du niveau deux.

Cours de Niveau Un

Arch & Flatten: This exercise is the most basic movement in Clinical Somatics, and works directly with the muscles involved in lower crossed syndrome. The Arch & Flatten allows you to release and regain voluntary control of the extensors of the lower back and the abdominals.

Back Lift: This exercise allows you to release and regain control of the extensors of the back and the gluteal muscles.

Arch & Curl: This exercise is a bigger version of the Arch & Flatten. If your back muscles are tight, engaging your abdominal muscles to curl up may be challenging at first, but it will get easier as your back muscles release.

Iliopsoas Release: This exercise works directly with releasing tension in the iliopsoas, which is central to lower crossed syndrome.

One-sided Arch & Curl and Diagonal Arch & Curl: These have the same benefits as the Arch & Curl, but they focus on one side of your body at a time, allowing you to even out imbalances in your muscular patterns.

Hip Rotation: While internal or external hip rotation is not a defining element of lower crossed syndrome, some of the muscles that rotate the hip are the same as those that flex the hip. So, working with releasing and regaining control of the hip rotators is another way to address the overactive hip flexors and inactive gluteus maximus that are present in lower crossed syndrome.

Flowering Arch & Curl: This is a full-body version of the Arch & Curl, involving arching and curling of the back, internal and external rotation of the arms, and internal and external rotation of the hips. You can practice this movement once you’re very comfortable with the Arch & Curl and Hip Rotation exercises.

Cours de Niveau Deux

Proprioceptive Exercise 1: This is a very important exercise for anyone with lower crossed syndrome to practice regularly, as it allows you to retrain your posture and proprioception (your internal sense of your body position). This exercise is practiced in front of a full-length mirror, allowing you to compare how your posture feels internally to what you see in the mirror.

Quadriceps Releases: The rectus femoris (a quadriceps muscle) flexes the hip, and is tight in lower crossed syndrome. It is important to practice Quadriceps Release Version 1 regularly if you can. If you cannot do it comfortably, do Version 2, and be sure to practice the Iliopsoas Release regularly as well until you are able to do Version 1.

Gluteal Release: This exercise pandiculates the gluteus maximus, allowing you to regain voluntary control.

Iliotibial Band Release: This exercise pandiculates the IT band and tensor fascia latae (TFL); the TFL assists in hip flexion, so it can be tight in lower crossed syndrome.

Standing Hamstring Release: While called a hamstring release, this exercise also pandiculates the extensors of the back and the gluteal muscles.

Seated Hamstring Release: This is not a true pandiculation, but it involves slowly bending and then lengthening each leg one at a time. The back is also lengthened in this exercise, which is why it can be helpful for lower crossed syndrome. If you’re not in pain, this exercise feels good; but if you have back pain or disc issues, I recommend skipping this one.

Head & Knee Lifts: Similar to the Back Lift, this exercise allows you to release and regain control of the extensors of the back and the gluteal muscles.