Plainville 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 Plainville back pain sufferers, walking, balanced, up-right. Layden 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 Plainville chiropractor is concentrating on the gluteal muscles this month. 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 lifting the dominant leg is one exercise that demonstrated its ability to be effective to activate the gluteal muscle and not the tensor fascia latae muscle. (Side note from this study: 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 increased gluteus medius strength post-injury. Side-sling plank with hip medial rotation proved itself better for patients with gluteus medius weakness  but  dominant 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 Layden Chiropractic takes care of in our Plainville chiropractic practice. 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 surrounding muscles, exercises focused on activating 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 kinds of exercise possibilities, depend on your Plainville 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 Layden Chiropractic

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 Plainville chiropractic appointment with Layden Chiropractic today. Don’t just sit on your weak glutes. Strengthen them, so they can support you best!