Polestar Pilates {PP} Exam
Tested Questions Reviewed And
Revised With Correct Answers
Already Passed!!
1. How many Polestar Principles are there?
- ANSWER 6
2. What are the 6 Polestar Principles (in order from 1-6)
- ANSWER Breathing, Axial Elongation & Core Control, Spine Articulation,
Organisation of the Head, Neck & Shoulders, Alignment and Weight Bearing of the
Extremities, and Movement Integration
3. What is the primary muscle of inspiration?
- ANSWER The diaphragm
4. What is included in skeletal (for breathing)
- ANSWER Thoracic spine, ribs, sternum, clavicle and scapula
5. What are the muscles of inspiration? (breathing)
- ANSWER Diaphragm, external intercostals and accessory muscles
(sternocleidomastoid and scalenes)
6. What are the muscles of expiration? (breathing)
- ANSWER Abdominals, internal intercostals and pelvic floor muscles
7. What is the meaning of axial elongation?
,- ANSWER Axial elongation places the body in its optimal position to increase
available degrees of freedom and increase efficiency of movement
8. What makes the human spine so unique?
- ANSWER We are the only mammal that has whats called a bi-curve spine.
That means we have a lordotic curve in our low back and a kyphotic curve in our
thoracic spine. This allows us to be a standing/upright animal
9. What is the function of the rectus abdominals?
- ANSWER The rectus abdominis is the anterior pillar of our abdominal wall.
It's fibers run vertical. It is segmented by fascial connections and its primary
purpose is to accelerate or decelerate flexion and extension of the spine
10. Where are the internal and external obliques located?
- ANSWER These muscles run in diagonals with the body
11. What is one of the functions of the transversus abdominus
- ANSWER It is a preparatory muscle for the organisation of movement
12. What are the 4 components that make up the Hydraulic Amplifier/Force
Couple?
- ANSWER Diaphragm, Transverse Abdominus, Pelvic Floor and Multifidus
13. What are the 3 components included in Panjabi's Model for Stability
- ANSWER Motor control, contractile, and inert
14. What's included in the Inert structures (Panjabi's Model for Stability)?
- ANSWER Bone, ligament, fascia, and disc
15. What's included in the Contractile structures (Panjabi's Model for Stability)?
- ANSWER Muscles
16. What's included in the Motor Control (Panjabi's Model for Stability)?
- ANSWER Neuromuscular system, and feedback and feedforward
mechanisms
,17. What is the neutral zone (as defined by Panjabi)?
- ANSWER Neutral zone is a "measure of spinal laxity in the vicinity of the
neutral position"
18. What is the take-home message of the Polestar Principle 'Spine Articulation'?
- ANSWER That "distribution of movement = distribution of forces"
19. What does "distribution of movement = distribution of forces" actually mean?
- ANSWER This basically means that the more segments of our spine that we
move from, the less stress or force that will go through any of the inert structures
or muscles of our spine
20. What is the saying Joseph Pilates makes about spine articulation?
- ANSWER He says that "if your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is
completely flexible at 60, you are young"
21. Global muscles (PP - spine articulation)
- ANSWER Rectus abdominus, external obliques, internal oblique - anterior
fibers, quadratus lumborum - lateral fibers, longissimus thoracic - superior fibers,
iliocostalis lumborum - superior fibers
22. Local muscles (PP - spine articulation)
- ANSWER Transversus abdominus, pelvic floor muscles, multifidus,
inertransversarii, interspinales, quadratus lumborum - medial fibers, internal
obliques - posterior fibers, longissimus thoracic - inferior fibers, iliocostalis
lumborum - inferior fibers
23. Lumbar spine (spinal biomechanics)
- ANSWER Designed for weight bearing; most movement in flexion/extension
(sagital); least movement in rotation (transverse)
24. Thoracic spine (spinal biomechanics)
- ANSWER Smallest range of motion in all planes; greatest movement in
rotation (transverse); least movement in lateral flexion (coronal)
, 25. Cervical spine (spinal biomechanics)
- ANSWER Greatest range of motion in all planes; 50% of cervical ROM from
OA and AA, primary purpose is to support and move the head
Sagital plane (planes of movement)
Flexion/extension
Coronal plane (planes of movement)
Lateral flexion; adbuction/adduction
Transverse plane (planes of movement)
Rotation; internal/external rotation
What is Freyette's Law (Physiologic Motion of the Spine)?
When the slack of a spinal segment is taken up in one direction of movement,
there will be less available movement in other planes of movement
What is an example of Freyette's Law for the spine?
When the spine is in flexion, there will be less movement available into rotation
What is the take-home message from Polestar Principle 4 - Organisation of the
head, neck and shoulders?
"Increasing our awareness of the world through improved access to our senses;
vision, hearing and touch"
Congruency of the shoulder (biomechanics - PP 4)
Maintaining optimal surface contact at the articulation between bony surfaces of
the joint
What is Hypermobile?
Excessive ROM with dynamic control
What is Instability?
Excessive mobility with poor dynamic control
Tested Questions Reviewed And
Revised With Correct Answers
Already Passed!!
1. How many Polestar Principles are there?
- ANSWER 6
2. What are the 6 Polestar Principles (in order from 1-6)
- ANSWER Breathing, Axial Elongation & Core Control, Spine Articulation,
Organisation of the Head, Neck & Shoulders, Alignment and Weight Bearing of the
Extremities, and Movement Integration
3. What is the primary muscle of inspiration?
- ANSWER The diaphragm
4. What is included in skeletal (for breathing)
- ANSWER Thoracic spine, ribs, sternum, clavicle and scapula
5. What are the muscles of inspiration? (breathing)
- ANSWER Diaphragm, external intercostals and accessory muscles
(sternocleidomastoid and scalenes)
6. What are the muscles of expiration? (breathing)
- ANSWER Abdominals, internal intercostals and pelvic floor muscles
7. What is the meaning of axial elongation?
,- ANSWER Axial elongation places the body in its optimal position to increase
available degrees of freedom and increase efficiency of movement
8. What makes the human spine so unique?
- ANSWER We are the only mammal that has whats called a bi-curve spine.
That means we have a lordotic curve in our low back and a kyphotic curve in our
thoracic spine. This allows us to be a standing/upright animal
9. What is the function of the rectus abdominals?
- ANSWER The rectus abdominis is the anterior pillar of our abdominal wall.
It's fibers run vertical. It is segmented by fascial connections and its primary
purpose is to accelerate or decelerate flexion and extension of the spine
10. Where are the internal and external obliques located?
- ANSWER These muscles run in diagonals with the body
11. What is one of the functions of the transversus abdominus
- ANSWER It is a preparatory muscle for the organisation of movement
12. What are the 4 components that make up the Hydraulic Amplifier/Force
Couple?
- ANSWER Diaphragm, Transverse Abdominus, Pelvic Floor and Multifidus
13. What are the 3 components included in Panjabi's Model for Stability
- ANSWER Motor control, contractile, and inert
14. What's included in the Inert structures (Panjabi's Model for Stability)?
- ANSWER Bone, ligament, fascia, and disc
15. What's included in the Contractile structures (Panjabi's Model for Stability)?
- ANSWER Muscles
16. What's included in the Motor Control (Panjabi's Model for Stability)?
- ANSWER Neuromuscular system, and feedback and feedforward
mechanisms
,17. What is the neutral zone (as defined by Panjabi)?
- ANSWER Neutral zone is a "measure of spinal laxity in the vicinity of the
neutral position"
18. What is the take-home message of the Polestar Principle 'Spine Articulation'?
- ANSWER That "distribution of movement = distribution of forces"
19. What does "distribution of movement = distribution of forces" actually mean?
- ANSWER This basically means that the more segments of our spine that we
move from, the less stress or force that will go through any of the inert structures
or muscles of our spine
20. What is the saying Joseph Pilates makes about spine articulation?
- ANSWER He says that "if your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is
completely flexible at 60, you are young"
21. Global muscles (PP - spine articulation)
- ANSWER Rectus abdominus, external obliques, internal oblique - anterior
fibers, quadratus lumborum - lateral fibers, longissimus thoracic - superior fibers,
iliocostalis lumborum - superior fibers
22. Local muscles (PP - spine articulation)
- ANSWER Transversus abdominus, pelvic floor muscles, multifidus,
inertransversarii, interspinales, quadratus lumborum - medial fibers, internal
obliques - posterior fibers, longissimus thoracic - inferior fibers, iliocostalis
lumborum - inferior fibers
23. Lumbar spine (spinal biomechanics)
- ANSWER Designed for weight bearing; most movement in flexion/extension
(sagital); least movement in rotation (transverse)
24. Thoracic spine (spinal biomechanics)
- ANSWER Smallest range of motion in all planes; greatest movement in
rotation (transverse); least movement in lateral flexion (coronal)
, 25. Cervical spine (spinal biomechanics)
- ANSWER Greatest range of motion in all planes; 50% of cervical ROM from
OA and AA, primary purpose is to support and move the head
Sagital plane (planes of movement)
Flexion/extension
Coronal plane (planes of movement)
Lateral flexion; adbuction/adduction
Transverse plane (planes of movement)
Rotation; internal/external rotation
What is Freyette's Law (Physiologic Motion of the Spine)?
When the slack of a spinal segment is taken up in one direction of movement,
there will be less available movement in other planes of movement
What is an example of Freyette's Law for the spine?
When the spine is in flexion, there will be less movement available into rotation
What is the take-home message from Polestar Principle 4 - Organisation of the
head, neck and shoulders?
"Increasing our awareness of the world through improved access to our senses;
vision, hearing and touch"
Congruency of the shoulder (biomechanics - PP 4)
Maintaining optimal surface contact at the articulation between bony surfaces of
the joint
What is Hypermobile?
Excessive ROM with dynamic control
What is Instability?
Excessive mobility with poor dynamic control
