#TuesdayTips: How to Find a Neutral Spine
- maybellelek
- Sep 22, 2020
- 2 min read
Today's question:"What is a neutral spine, and how do we find it?"
To put it simply, a neutral spine is a position where we aim to set-up and work from in a Pilates class. It is a fundamental technique that is often explained in the very beginning when you are starting out.
A good neutral spine is a position where the natural curvatures of the spine are present and well-aligned. These natural curves are the cervical (neck), thoracic (middle) and lumbar (lower).
If we refer at this image to have an anatomical view of the neutral spine, all three curves (cervical, thoracic and lumbar) are present in this alignment.
There are plenty of benefits to working from this position:
1. A neutral spine is the strongest position for our body to use the correct muscle engagement with the least amount of damage or pain.
2. The pressure in our ligaments and tendons are decreased significantly when working from a neutral spine. This allows for a more even distribution of weight across our length of the spinal column, providing maximum shock absorption and a greater stable base to mobilise from.
3. The client is practicing from a centered position, instead of working too far forwards (tucking) or backwards (arching).
4.It is an optimal position for circulation and breathing.
When a client is lying down in supine position, a good technique to find neutral spine is by shaping the hands into a triangle and placing it on top of the pelvis. In Pilates, we call this the 'neutral pelvis'. The heels of the palms should be on the bony protrusions and the tip of the triangle on the pubic bone. The triangle should be directly facing parallel to the ceiling, with a small gap between the lumbar spine and the mat/floor. This ensures that the lumbar curvature is present, and therefore the client has found their neutral spine.
Using this screenshot as a reference, she has placed her triangle on the bony landmarks of her pelvis. The triangle is facing parallel to the ceiling, therefore she has achieved in finding her neutral spine. Another fascinating sensation that you might feel when you've found your neutral pelvis is a sense of length through the spinal column and therefore, achieving a neutral spine. So remember:
neutral pelvis = neutral spine.
One key point to remember is that although the neutral spine is the most optimal place to work from, the shape and size of the spinal curves are different for everybody. Therefore, it is important to reference a neutral spine. Do refer to this video for a good referencing guideline in finding your neutral spine. Good luck!
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