Murfreesboro 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 Murfreesboro back pain sufferers, walking, balanced, up-right. Most Chiropractic Clinic 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 time to talk about them all. Your Murfreesboro chiropractor is focusing 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 – doing exercises that strengthen those while not activating others like the erector spinae and tensor fascia latae is desirable. Side bridge while lifting 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) One variation of side plank is the side-sling plank. Researchers explained that it increased gluteus medius strength after injuries. Side-sling plank with hip medial rotation demonstrated itself better for 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 point for back pain sufferers like those Most Chiropractic Clinic takes care of in our Murfreesboro 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 neighboring muscles, exercises concentrated on activating the gluteus max and gluteus medius without involving surrounding muscles like the tensor fascia latae, etc., are vital. One simple exercise that activated 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 Murfreesboro 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 Most Chiropractic Clinic

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 incorporated exercise.

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