Strengthening the corrective ability of the Human Body

Proximal head or the upper cervical spine has three components namely neck, thoracic spine and shoulders. These are joined by twelve muscles namely cervical discs, thoracic spine, upper and lower trapezius, brachialis, upper fibular, lower fibular, lumbar, scapulae, teres minor, spondylolisthesis and the triceps. Any movement which results in flexion, rotation and extension of the spine leads to a stress on any of these muscles, which is amplified when an individual bends over.


The rotary and the linear strength of the neck and shoulders, together with the shoulders and the arms constitute the muscular power. Any weakness in these muscle masses results in loss of muscular power which leads to poor posture, a hunched posture, weak reaction time and hence diminished running speed. All these deficiencies in the upper limbs lead to decreased running speed and an increased time taken for recovering from the impact. Hence it is advisable to have strong legs and good reaction time.

A measure of corrective ability is known as the RFD or Rate of force development. This is a measure of the intensity with which a muscle contractions. RFD is calculated as the force developed by the muscle at a specific point in time. So a higher RFD means a better contraction rate and a better force production.

In order to design a corrective ability training regime, one needs to know about the four failure modes. The first mode (failure) occurs when the ligamentous structures of the neck are stretched beyond their normal limits. The second failure mode occurs when the arch of the femur is not parallel to the surface and is pulled down due to subluxations. The third failure mode occurs when the shoulder capsule contracts more strongly than the humerus while the fourth failure mode occurs when the lumbar lordosis increases with time.

These failure modes are important to understand because they can help determine the right corrective exercises to use for a particular system. For instance, a corrective exercise program for the rotator cuff may make more sense if one is experiencing symptoms of rotator cuff tendinitis. In such a case, the rotator cuff corrective exercises should not be designed to generate a higher RFD. Rather, these movements should be designed to decrease the degree of internal rotation of the humerus. Thus by inhibiting internal rotation the exercises can have less of an impact on the patient.

In addition to these four failure modes, there are also two types of RFD. RFD at the 100 mm level is called RFD plateau. RFD at the 200 mm level is called RFD progression. Thus the corrective exercises that a patient is required to do will depend upon the stages that he or she is in. This is why it is important to have a qualified practitioner design a corrective movement scheme for you.

The fourth requirement is strength training and resistance training. A good ring with a large amount of weight can be used in order to condition the body for effective RFD. The body will need to learn how to put the weight on strong legs and strong arms. Thus the proper amount of resistance training should be done. Proper aerobic exercises will also improve the strength of the legs and arms.

Finally, a combination of aerobic and resistance exercises should be done. These exercises will increase both RFD and the strength of the muscle groups. Thus the body will be a more physically independent one. Corrective training of any type will improve one's health over time.

Corrective exercises can be of many types. One of the most common types of corrective exercises is the strut fixing. The strut fixing involves putting on a ring of weight on the strong side of the body and then placing a ring of weight on the weak side of the body. In other words, the weaker leg is fixed to the strong leg while the stronger leg is fixed to the weak leg. Thus this training increases both RFD and strength.

Another type of corrective exercise is the external fixation. This involves putting on rings of weight onto the weak side of the body and then placing a ring of weight onto the strong side of the body. The external fixation involves putting on and removing weights at regular intervals. Thus in this training the trainee works his or her muscles continuously and the strength levels get progressively enhanced. Some struts are even fixed externally so that the wearer can wear them over his or her shoulder.

Apart from all the abovementioned training the wearer can also work his or her RFD through exercises such as the hammerstun. Hammerstun involves putting a heavy burden on the weak side of the body and then relaxing it. The muscles get contracted and strengthened in this procedure. This improves both RFD and strength simultaneously. Hence most of the fitness centers these days are offering hammerstun training to their trainees.