P&P#46

P&P #46 The Concept of STABILISING and MOBILISING Muscles May Be Misleading and Incorrect.

In sports science and physiotherapy, we often encounter the concept of muscles which move or mobilise (the mobilisers) and others which stabilise (the stabilisers). Are we justified in applying such a rigid classification? Is muscle function not really determined by the specific task and situation involved, rather than by some a priori assumption that some muscles always mobilise, while others always stabilise. Should we always describe the erector spinae and recti abominis as stabilisers, when we know that this is not the case in activities such as Olympic weightlifting, for example?

Intimately linked to this concept, is that of tonic and phasic muscles. 'Tonic' generally regarded as being synonymous with 'postural' or 'stabilising', whereas 'phasic' is regarded as being synonymous with 'mobilising'. This being so, are we justified in using this type of categorisation as well?

What about the possibility that every muscle simultaneously may play both a stabilising and mobilising role in certain movements? Can you quote any examples where this may occur? What about the other possibility that the roles of mobilisers and stabilisers dynamically and statically change throughout any movement? In addition, are we justified in ignoring the possibility that the 'new' mobilisers and stabilisers may be recruited to augment or replace earlier ones involved in a given movement?

Finally, something may have to be said about the type of muscle contraction which may be involved during stabilisation. We know that mobilisation may occur under conditions of concentric or eccentric muscle action, but what of stabilisation? Why is stabilisation usually associated with isometric muscle action? Is this always true? Let us not forget the converse - can mobilisation occur under isometric conditions?

For those of you with a working familiarity with the methods of PNF, consider the above questions in the light of the patterns, principles and procedures applied in this physiotherapeutic discipline.

TOP