Baton Rouge 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 those of us who suffer with Baton Rouge back pain, walking, balanced, up-right. Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers 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 talk about them all. Your Baton Rouge 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 activating others like the erector spinae and tensor fascia latae is advantageous. Side bridge while raising the dominant leg is one exercise that demonstrated its ability to be good to activate the gluteal muscle over tensor fascia latae muscle. (Side note from this study: Back bridge exercise was helpful in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) A variation of side plank is the side-sling plank. Researchers found that it improved gluteus medius strength after injuries. Side-sling plank with hip medial rotation proved 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 as well as challenge trunk muscles without high lumbar compression, an important point for back pain sufferers like those Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers takes care of in our Baton Rouge 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 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 reducing the impact of the tensor fascia latae muscles was the clam exercise. (4) With such a variety of exercises to choose from, allow your Baton Rouge 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 Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers
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 degenerative disc disease and back pain who found relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that incorporated exercise.
Schedule your Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment with Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers today. Don’t just sit on your weak glute muscles. Strengthen them, so they can support you best!
