Sandy Springs 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 Sandy Springs back pain sufferers, walking, balanced, up-right. Cross Chiropractic Center considers gluteal muscle strength seriously, particularly 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 Sandy Springs 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 – doing exercises that strengthen those while not activating others like the erector spinae and tensor fascia latae is desirable. Side bridge while raising the dominant leg is one exercise that showed itself to be good in activating the gluteal muscle and not the tensor fascia latae muscle. (Side note from this study: Back bridge exercise showed itself helpful in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) A variation 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 demonstrated itself superior 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 point for back pain sufferers like those Cross Chiropractic Center takes care of in our Sandy Springs 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 adjacent muscles, exercises concentrated 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 such a variety of exercises to pick from, allow your Sandy Springs chiropractor to help pinpoint which of your supportive muscles are weak and determine which exercises - natrual parts of chiropractic care - are best to strengthen them.

CONTACT Cross Chiropractic Center

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 included exercise.

Schedule your Sandy Springs chiropractic appointment with Cross Chiropractic Center today. Don’t just sit on your weak glute muscles. Exercise them, so they can support you best!