New York City 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 New York City back pain, walking, balanced, up-right. Rosenberg Wellness Center 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 New York City 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 – doing 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 effective to activate the gluteal muscle and not the tensor fascia latae muscle. (An aside: Back bridge exercise was beneficial in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) A 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 in patients with gluteus medius weakness but stronger tensor fasciae latae. (2) Side bridge exercises were described to strengthen hip, trunk, and abdominal muscles in addition to being able to challenge trunk muscles without high lumbar compression, an important item for back pain sufferers like those Rosenberg Wellness Center takes care of in our New York City chiropractic office. Another variation that showed itself 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 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 kinds of exercise possibilities, allow your New York City 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 Rosenberg Wellness Center
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 attained relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that incorporated exercise.
Schedule your New York City chiropractic appointment with Rosenberg Wellness Center today. Don’t just sit on your weak glutes. Exercise them, so they can support you best!
