SM system and its use. How to practice it?

Back pain is known to a large number of people.

They are the result of certain problems related to correct posture, spinal injuries, damaged discs, etc.

It often happens that we see a doctor, get medication and wait.

After a moment's relief, the problems return, and so on and so forth.

The point is that if there are already problems with the back, taking medication is not enough. We need to address them more and work to eliminate the cause. Or at least alleviate it.

If you can, you need to use different methods of exercise.

Those that help with similar problems.

The SM system (SPS method) could be a solution.

What is the SM system?

First of all, it is an exercise method.

It combines rehabilitation with prevention, fitness training and recovery in one procedure.

It focuses on the human musculoskeletal system with a link to the proper function of internal organs.

In this respect, it focuses primarily on the spine.

What does the SM system mean?

Stabilization and mobility.

With the help of exercises, the body is stabilized and mobility, i.e. movement, is created.

The basis of the SM system training is 11 exercises. These are further expanded by various modifications.

The SM system has more uses than one would think. It also includes exercises for pregnant women, athletes, people suffering from scoliosis, for example, and others.

The advantage of the SM system is that it can be practiced almost everywhere.

At home, outdoors or in a fitness center.

Richard Smíšek, MD, creator of the SM System

The author of the SM system is a former athlete and currently a renowned doctor, Dr. Richard Smíšek.

He has been dealing with spine and muscles for more than 40 years.

During this time he has achieved many successes in the treatment and prevention of back pain and scoliosis.

During his sports career, he began using elastic ropes as part of his conditioning training.

Later, he applied the exercises in the treatment of patients with spinal problems in the lumbar and cervical region.

In doing so, he achieved a good therapeutic effect of the exercises on headaches and dizziness emanating from the cervical spine.

The exercises also had a positive effect on the patients' psyche.

Later, after mutual cooperation with the well-known rehabilitation nurse Ludmila Mojžíšová, he extended his therapeutic method to the treatment of sterility in women and men.

In 1990 he became independent and started to develop the SM system.

The main patients were mainly people with intervertebral disc problems in the lumbar spine.

He developed a program for the acute and then convalescent phase.

This was to help patients manage acute pain for 3 to 6 days. Within a month, prepare them to manage light work activities and in 3 months return to normal life. In six months, they could take up recreational sports.

However, many patients slackened in their efforts.

Their problems began to return.

Therefore, Dr. Smisek expanded the SM system to include exercises for cured patients to prevent problems from recurring.

The basis was a back school for people with sedentary jobs, lack of exercise and after spinal surgery.

Another modification of the SM system was to target the elderly. The purpose was to relieve patients from pain and improve their coordination and stability of movement. This was to prevent falls.

MUDr. Smíšek dealt, among other things, with the diagnosis of dysfunctions of internal organs.

Cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and urogenital.

He developed a method of their elimination by means of movement programs.

He uses a lighter form of exercise to train the cardiovascular system in less physically fit individuals.

The aim is to increase the consumption of sugars and fats in the muscles, to increase their tension and blood flow, and to increase the mobility of the chest, thus improving the ventilation of the lungs.

This optimizes the supply of oxygen needed for metabolic processes in the human body and eliminates risk factors for various cardiovascular diseases.

Another area that MUDr. Smíšek dealt with was scoliosis and its prevention.

His goal is to apply the SM system as a prevention for a wide range of people and to establish cooperation between them, physiotherapists and doctors.

This implies:

Who is the SM system (SPS method) for?

For all of us who can and want to.

For children from 5 years old to adults.

For those who suffer from back pain, are trying to prevent it or have not been helped by previous therapy.

The SM system should be adopted by all people with a sense of healthy physical development.

The exercises of the SM system reduce the risks during childbirth, so they are useful even in pregnancy.

They help to firm and better control the pelvic floor muscles.

The SM system has even been adopted by many people, not only professional athletes, as part of their fitness training and rehabilitation.

Problems that SM system exercises help to solve:

• incorrect posture - stemming from various causes, even in children during physical development
• spinal problems - sedentary jobs, bad habits
• intervertebral disc problems
• scoliosis, spinal stenosis - includes other diagnoses
• stiff neck muscles
• pain in the thoracic, cervical and lumbar spine
• weakness of the back muscles - especially sedentary jobs with poor posture
• highly stressed muscles - athletes, physically demanding jobs

Overall, the SM system method helps in improving our physical performance.

It helps us to prevent overloading and degeneration of large joints and spine.

Proper dietary modification can help as a prevention against obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Read more about how to lose weight in this article.

In athletes, it finds application, for example, as compensation after physical exercise.

Proper training of movement stereotypes can enhance their performance.

What is the principle of the SM system?

The SM system method is based on the foundation of walking as a natural human movement.

Proper exercise beneficial for the spine depends on the correct position of our body, the very nature of the exercise we perform, the force we use in it, and the speed.

The length and intensity of the exercise are essential.

In order for the SM system to have the necessary effect, it is important to practice it regularly.

Preferably every day.

It is necessary to solve problems, to find time.

The SM system focuses on the work of the spiral muscle chains.

What exactly are muscle chains?

They are muscle loops.

They are a group of two muscles clamped at distant fixed points.

We're still talking about our bodies, the human body.

Between these muscles is a bone segment - that is, bone.

A muscle chain is a group of muscle loops connected by bones, tendons or ligaments.

Their interplay ensures the stability of the body during movement.

Its correct execution depends on it.

The muscle chain is controlled by the central nervous system, i.e. the brain and the medulla oblongata.

There are two types of muscle chains.

Spiral dynamic and vertical static.

And here we are slowly approaching the heart of the matter.

Spiral dynamic chains lead to traction, stretching and lightening of the intervertebral segments (discs).

Their activation is more energy intensive.

Vertical static chains, on the other hand, compress these segments, i.e. they act in the direction of gravity.

It is these less energy-intensive chains that we use to stabilize the body at rest.

For most of us, they are more dominant because you can't engage both ends at the same time when sitting, driving a car, and similar activities.

And the problems can start.

Also read the article on how to treat back pain.

It is now clearer why the SM system uses spiral muscle chains.

Its main purpose is to activate the tensile force in the disc area. This increases the intervertebral space, the discs themselves become lighter and can work better.

It's like imagining a car jack.

It's shaped like a rhombus that narrows as it's lifted. This creates more space between the top and the bottom.

By exercising the SM system, we achieve mobilization of the spiral muscle chains.

They narrow the waist and pull our body upwards.

This stabilizes the spine during movement.

The SM system exercises have the following effects on our body:

• Dynamic stabilization of movement
• improving balance
• stabilisation of the spiral muscle chains and thus the centre of the body
• relaxation of the brachial plexus and thus the limbs for better movement
• improving the axial position of the body
• more extensive and fluid movement
• better movement of the spine during body rotation and at the same time better stability
• relaxation of all the muscles of the body
• blood circulation and regeneration of muscles and tendons
• regeneration and relaxation of the intervertebral discs and joints
• better control, management and segmental distribution of movement
• improvement of natural movement patterns of walking and running
• significant benefits for our mental health

How to exercise the SM system?

Using gait coordination.

This is broken down into individual exercises.

During these, incorrect execution is corrected. By mastering the individual exercises, these exercises are then combined into an optimal and coordinated gait.

The SM system method uses an elastic rope for the individual exercises. This is a special rope designed specifically for this activity.

We aim for extensive movement of the limbs.

The rope acts as a resistance, the size of which gradually increases.

In doing so, the stabilising muscle groups are activated.

By mobilising the spiral muscle chains, the spine is stretched upwards and the intervertebral spaces are released.

The discs and joints regenerate, function better and relieve pain and tension in the back.

The effectiveness of the SM system is based on the complexity of the individual exercises.

They act on several muscle groups at the same time.

What we must observe during the exercises:

• proper grip of the elastic rope
• conscious, smooth and slow breathing
• regularity of the exercises

The exercise lasts approximately 20 minutes. The exercises can be repeated several times.

To perform the exercises of the SM system correctly we will need: elastic rope, balance mat and support bars.

It is advisable to learn the exercises of the SM system with the help of a physiotherapist or instructor before we start exercising.

We can also use various professional videos and publications that will help us to exercise correctly. Alternatively, we can attend a course where we will be taught everything.

Later we can work on the SM system ourselves.

Of course, we also need to consult an expert to see if this exercise is suitable for us.

Another article about how to avoid back pain or how to solve it.