Easley Gluteus Muscle Weakness Helped by Exercise: Planks
The glutes are for more than just sitting! They must be strong and supportive to keep us, especially us Easley back pain sufferers, walking, balanced, up-right. Young Chiropractic considers gluteal muscle strength seriously, especially 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 time to talk about them all. Your Easley chiropractor is concentrating 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 desired. Side bridge while lifting the dominant leg is one exercise that showed itself to be good in activating the gluteal muscle over tensor fascia latae muscle. (An aside: Back bridge exercise showed itself beneficial in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) A variation of side plank is the side-sling plank. Researchers explained that it enhanced gluteus medius strength post-injury. Side-sling plank with hip medial rotation demonstrated itself better in patients with gluteus medius weakness but stronger tensor fasciae latae. (2) Side bridge exercises were described to strengthen hip, trunk, and abdominal muscles in addition to being able to challenge trunk muscles without high lumbar compression, an important point for back pain sufferers like those Young Chiropractic care for in our Easley chiropractic office. Another variation that was described as being superior to 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 activating the gluteus max and gluteus medius without involving surrounding muscles like the tensor fascia latae, etc., are vital. One simple exercise that triggered the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles while reducing the impact of the tensor fascia latae muscles was the clam exercise. (4) With so many different kinds of exercise possibilities, depend on your Easley chiropractor to help isolate which of your supportive muscles are weak and determine which exercises - natrual parts of chiropractic care - are most beneficial in strengthening them.
CONTACT Young 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 Easley chiropractic appointment with Young Chiropractic today. Don’t just sit on your weak glute muscles. Exercise them, so they can best support you!
