Belt Assisted Eccentric Curl Backs and Curl Ups
- The patient starts in the long sitting position with a belt wrapped around the balls of the feet.
- Instruct the patient to slowly slump back as though trying to touch their spine to the table segmentally from below up (S1, then L5, L4 etc.).
- Emphasis is placed on posterior translation at each segmental level.
- They’re only allowed to roll back as far as they can while maintaining spinal flexion.
- Once they are able to control segmental flexion eccentrically then they can roll all the way back to the table and then come back up using the belt to assist as needed.
- Have the patient repeat the exercise 8 to 10 times trying to work a little further back each time.
- Goal – Eventually the patient should be able to roll all the way back and curl back up with segmental flexion without needing to use a belt to assist and without extending the spine while curling up.
