One of the biggest confusions in “back pain” is the role of  abdominal muscles.
For years hard working doctors and researchers have attempted to assess the role and value and ideal type of abdominal engagement and training methodology. At the same time fraudsters and  charlatans have always sought to promote  and mystify the actions of an obscure muscle
There are 3 things you can do with your abs if you are standing up in a neutral position ( we need to talk about this concept too!)
1) You  can suck them in
2) You can “tighten” them where they are
3) You can “bear out”
Ill discuss these ideas in painful depth else where.