Tonawanda Gluteus Muscle Weakness Helped by Exercise: Planks

There is so much more to the glutes than being seat cushions! They need to be strong and supportive to keep us, especially us Tonawanda back pain sufferers, walking, balanced, up-right. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation considers 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 time to discuss them all. Your Tonawanda chiropractor is concentrating on the gluteal muscles in this article. More to come on the others!

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 activating others like the erector spinae and tensor fascia latae is desired. Side bridge while raising the dominant leg is one exercise that showed itself to be effective to activate the gluteal muscle and not the tensor fascia latae muscle. (An aside: Back bridge exercise showed itself helpful in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) A modification of side plank is the side-sling plank. Researchers found that it increased 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 described to strengthen hip, trunk, and abdominal muscles as well as challenge trunk muscles without high lumbar compression, an important aspect for back pain sufferers like those Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation care for in our Tonawanda chiropractic practice. Another variation that showed itself 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 adjacent muscles, exercises concentrated on activating the gluteus max and gluteus medius without involving surrounding muscles like the tensor fascia latae, etc., are key. One easy 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 types of exercise possibilities, depend on your Tonawanda chiropractor to help isolate which of your supportive muscles are weak and decide which exercises - natrual parts of chiropractic care - are most beneficial in strengthening them.

CONTACT Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Robert Krause on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes care of a patient with back pain due to degenerative disc disease who found relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that included exercise.

Schedule your Tonawanda chiropractic appointment with Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation today. Don’t just sit on your weak glute muscles. Strengthen them, so they can best support you!