St Peters Gluteus Muscle Weakness Helped by Exercise: Planks
The glutes are for more than just sitting! They need to be strong and supportive to keep us, especially those of us who suffer with St Peters back pain, walking, balanced, up-right. Old Mill Chiropractic takes gluteal muscle strength seriously, particularly the gluteus medius muscle, one of the foremost supportive spine muscles along with the gluteus maximus, tensor fascia latae, lumbar multifidus, external oblique, erector spinae, and rectus abdominus. So many muscles, so little space to talk about them all. Your St Peters chiropractor is focusing on the gluteal muscles this month. The others will be discussed in the future.
FOCUSING ON WEAK GLUTEUS MUSCLES WITH SIDE PLANK OR BRIDGE
When supportive muscles are weak – gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, multifidus and transverse abdominus – performing exercises that strengthen those while not using others like the erector spinae and tensor fascia latae is desirable. Side bridge while lifting the dominant leg is one exercise that showed itself to be effective in activating the gluteal muscle and not the tensor fascia latae muscle. (An aside: Back bridge exercise showed itself beneficial in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) A modification of side plank is the side-sling plank. Researchers found that it enhanced gluteus medius strength after injuries. Side-sling plank with hip medial rotation proved itself better in patients with gluteus medius weakness but dominant tensor fasciae latae. (2) Side bridge exercises were documented to strengthen hip, trunk, and abdominal muscles in addition to being able to challenge trunk muscles without high lumbar compression, an important aspect for back pain sufferers like those Old Mill Chiropractic care for in our St Peters chiropractic practice. Another variation that showed itself better than the others for strengthening a weak gluteus medius muscle was the side bridge with knee flexion. (3) When glute muscles are weaker than their neighboring muscles, exercises focused on triggering the gluteus max and gluteus medius without involving surrounding muscles like the tensor fascia latae, etc., are vital. One easy exercise that triggered the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles while minimizing tensor fascia latae muscles was the clam exercise. (4) With so many different types of exercise possibilities, depend on your St Peters chiropractor to help isolate which of your supportive muscles are weak and determine which exercises - natrual parts of chiropractic care - are best to strengthen them.
CONTACT Old Mill Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Robert Krause on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses care of a patient with degenerative disc disease and back pain who attained relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that incorporated exercise.
Schedule your St Peters chiropractic appointment with Old Mill Chiropractic today. Don’t just sit on your weak glute muscles. Strengthen them, so they can support you best!
