McHenry 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 us McHenry back pain sufferers, walking, balanced, up-right. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic considers gluteal muscle strength seriously, especially the gluteus medius muscle, one of the more prominent 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 discuss them all. Your McHenry chiropractor is focusing 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 using others like the erector spinae and tensor fascia latae is advantageous. Side bridge while raising the dominant leg is one exercise that showed itself to be effective to activate the gluteal muscle over tensor fascia latae muscle. (An aside: Back bridge exercise was helpful in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) One modification of side plank is the side-sling plank. Researchers explained that it enhanced gluteus medius strength after injuries. Side-sling plank with hip medial rotation proved itself superior in patients with gluteus medius weakness but stronger tensor fasciae latae. (2) Side bridge exercises were documented to strengthen hip, trunk, and abdominal muscles as well as challenge trunk muscles without high lumbar compression, an important detail for back pain sufferers like those OrthoIllinois Chiropractic care for in our McHenry chiropractic office. 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 adjacent muscles, exercises focused 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 keeping to a minimum tensor fascia latae muscles was the clam exercise. (4) With so many different kinds of exercise possibilities, allow your McHenry 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 OrthoIllinois 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 back pain due to degenerative disc disease who attained relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that included exercise.
Schedule your McHenry chiropractic appointment with OrthoIllinois Chiropractic today. Don’t just sit on your weak glute muscles. Exercise them, so they can support you best!
