La Grande 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 those of us who suffer with La Grande back pain, walking, balanced, up-right. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC 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 La Grande chiropractor is focusing 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 using others like the erector spinae and tensor fascia latae is desirable. Side bridge while lifting the dominant leg is one exercise that showed itself to be good in activating the gluteal muscle and not the tensor fascia latae muscle. (An aside: Back bridge exercise was beneficial in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) A variation of side plank is the side-sling plank. Researchers explained that it improved gluteus medius strength post-injury. Side-sling plank with hip medial rotation proved itself superior 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 Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC takes care of in our La Grande 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 surrounding muscles, exercises concentrated on activating the gluteus max and gluteus medius without involving surrounding muscles like the tensor fascia latae, etc., are key. One simple exercise that triggered the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles while keeping to a minimum tensor fascia latae muscles was the clam exercise. (4) With so many different types of exercise possibilities, depend on your La Grande 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 Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
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 back pain due to degenerative disc disease who found relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that included exercise.
Schedule your La Grande chiropractic appointment with Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC today. Don’t just sit on your weak glutes. Strengthen them, so they can support you best!
