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Figures for "Did Cavemen Have Low Back Pain?"
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Figure
1A | 
Figure 1B | Figure
1A-1B
The Squat: Begin by placing the feet shoulder width or slightly more and the toes turned out up to 30°. If using a dowel rod or bar, place it to rest comfortably
across the shoulders (never the base of the neck) with the hands slightly wider than shoulder width. In preparation for beginning, hold the chest high with the shoulders pulled together
and tilt the pelvis forward, increasing the curve in the low back. The back is held rigid in this position throughout the squat to protect the lumbar discs and aid in strengthening the
postural muscles of the back.
The descent is initiated with a slight bend forward at the hip and followed by bending at the knees. The head is always held such that the eyes
are looking straight forward. The knees must track directly over the feet throughout the descending and ascending cycle, with the weight being equally distributed between the feet. The
descending cycle is complete when the thighs are parallel to the ground, although if you find this too hard in the beginning go only as far as comfortable for you. The speed of the
descent and ascent should be smooth and steady, without locking the knees at the top. | 
Figure 2 |
Figure 2
The Horse Stance Start Position: To begin the horse stance exercises, position yourself as
follows:
1. The hands should be placed below the shoulders.
2. The knees should be placed below the hips.
3. The spine should be parallel to the floor and in neutral, or
held such that the curves are not exaggerated at all, with the hand and the face parallel to the floor and the lower legs parallel to each other. | 
Figure 3 | Figure 3
The Horse
Stance Vertical is done by lifting one hand and the opposite knee off the floor just high enough to slide a magazine under them and held for a ten count. After ten seconds switch to the
opposite hand and knee for a ten count, repeating this process to fatigue or to 15 repetitions each side. The exercise requires that the small stabilizer muscles of the spine work to
resist the spinal torsion created by the diagonal pattern. When lifting the hand and knee off the floor, be careful not to let your pelvis deviate toward the support leg side. This faulty
movement pattern will shift the work out of the back and into the support hip. | 
Figure
4 | Figure 4
Horse Stance Horizontal: From the start position, the Horse Stance
Horizontal is performed by bringing an arm 45 degrees out from the head, held parallel to the floor, followed by extending the opposite leg straight back and parallel to the floor. This
position is held for a count of ten before switching sides and repeating the same. The Horse Stance Horizontal should be done to fatigue, which is either when you lose form or when
the position can no longer be held for ten seconds. This exercise strengthens the postural muscles of the back and the posterior thigh muscles. | 
Figure 5 | Figure 5
Lower
Abdominal (LA) 1 and 2: Lie on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a blood pressure cuff under your low back, directly under your belly button. Pump the
blood pressure cuff to 40mmHg. Exhale, draw your belly button in toward your spine and gently increase pressure on the blood pressure cuff by rotating your tailbone toward the ceiling
until the blood pressure cuff reads 70 mmHg. Hold this position for as long as is comfortable, up to 10 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat this 10 times. LA 2 begins in the
same position as LA 1. As with LA 1, increase inflate the blood pressure cuff to 40 mmHg and then to 70 mmHg by exhaling, drawing your belly button toward the spine and rotating
your tailbone towards the ceiling. Begin LA 2 by raising one foot off the ground until your thigh is perpendicular to the floor while keeping the blood pressure cuff pressure at 70 mmHg.
Place the foot back on the ground and perform the same movement with the other leg. Alternate legs, performing 12-20 repetitions. When you are able to complete 20 repetitions
without losing form, straighten the lifting leg for increased challenge. | 
Figure 6A | 
Figure 6B | Figure 6A - 6B
Russian
Twist: Roll onto a Swiss ball so that your head, shoulders and upper back are supported by the ball. Lift your hips up so that they are in line with your knees and shoulders. Clasp your
hands and raise your arms so that they point straight up toward the sky (holding a weight will make the exercise more challenging). Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Rotate
the ball under you, going from side to side. Keep your head straight and look up at the ceiling. Do not let your hips drop. | 
Figure 7A | 
Figure 7B | Figure 7A-7B
Swiss Ball Crunch: Lie over a Swiss ball so that your back is comfortably on the ball. Your
tongue should be on the roof of your mouth. As you slowly crunch up, imagine rolling your spine from head to pelvis. On the way back, unwind from the low back to your head, one
vertebra at a time. Exhale on the way up and inhale on the way back. Beginners should position their arms forward. For more challenging versions, cross your arms behind your chest
or place your finger tips behind your ears (don't support your head and neck with hands). This exercise should be done to the point of fatigue on a three time per week
basis. | 
Figure 8 | Figure 8
Assessing your Lumbar Curvature: To determine whether you need lumbar support while doing
abdominal exercises simply stand against a wall with the heels, buttocks, back and head on the wall. If the head will not touch the wall, don't force it. If the your curvature is normal,
when you slide your hand behind your back at the belt line level, the thickest part of your hand should just get caught between your spine and wall. If your curvature is reduced, your
hand will get caught before the thick part can make it between the wall and your back. If the thick part of your hand cannot tilt the curvature naturally, you should use a lumbar support
during abdominal exercises as directed in this article. If your hand slides right through, you most likely have excessive lumbar curvature and should not emphasis on lower abdominal
exercises, using no lumbar support.
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