Dani Marks Presents the Pilates Spine Stretch
The Pilates spine stretch is done in a small straddle position, feet flexed.
Begin by sitting against a wall with the spine straight and arms reaching forward.
As the spine rounds forward (flexion), pull the abdominals toward the wall; the lower back should not leave the wall.
Roll back up the wall through each vertebra to straighten.
Trapezius
Erector Spinae
Iliopsoas
Trapezius
This muscle comes from the Greek trapezoeides, i.e. table shaped. Viewed as a whole, the left and right create a trapezium in shape, thus giving the muscle its name.
The upper fibers pull the shoulder girdle up (elevation). They help prevent the depression of the shoulder girdle when a weight is carried on the shoulder or in the hand.
The middle fibers retract (adduct) the scapula.
The lower fibers depress the scapula, particularly against resistance, as when using hands to get up from
a chair.
The upper and lower fibers together rotate the scapula, as in elevating the arm above the head.
An example of when the upper and lower fibers are working together is when painting the ceiling.
When the upper fibers are tight they can cause neck pain or stiffness and headaches.
Erector Spinae
Erector spinae, also called sacrospinalis, comprises three sets of muscles organized in parallel: from lateral to medial these are iliocostalis, longissimus, and spinalis.
Iliocostalis is the most lateral part of erector spinae and may be subdivided into lumborum, thoracis, and cervicis portions.
Longissimus is the intermediate part of erector spinae and may be subdivided into thoracis, cervicis, and capitis portions.
The spinalis is the most medial part of erector spinae and may also be subdivided into thoracis, cervicis, and capitis portions.
Iliopsoas
The Psoas major runs downward, to be joined by iliacus—collectively they are called iliopsoas.
Together, these muscles act as padding for various abdominal viscera, and leave the abdomen to become the main flexor of the hip joint and stabilizers of the low back.
The psoas is to the diaphragm what the gluteus maximus is to the latissimus dorsi.
Note that some upper fibers of psoas major may insert by a long tendon into the iliopubic eminence to form psoas minor, which has little function and is absent in about forty percent of people.
Bilateral contraction of psoas major will increase lumbar lordosis.