Manchester 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 those of us who suffer with Manchester back pain, walking, balanced, up-right. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries considers gluteal muscle strength seriously, especially 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 discuss them all. Your Manchester chiropractor is concentrating on the gluteal muscles in this article. 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 desirable. Side bridge while raising the dominant leg is one exercise that showed itself to be effective in activating 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 found 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  stronger 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 Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries care for in our Manchester chiropractic office. Another variation that was described as being 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 adjacent muscles, exercises focused 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 such a variety of exercises to choose from, allow your Manchester chiropractor to help pinpoint which of your supportive muscles are weak and determine which exercises - natrual parts of chiropractic care - are most beneficial in strengthening them.

CONTACT Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries

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 Manchester chiropractic appointment with Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries today. Don’t just sit on your weak glutes. Exercise them, so they can best support you!