Millville Gluteus Muscle Weakness Helped by Exercise: Planks

There is so much more to the glutes than being seat cushions! They must be strong and supportive to keep us, especially those of us who suffer with Millville back pain, walking, balanced, up-right. Wilson Family Chiropractic 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 time to talk about them all. Your Millville 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 using others like the erector spinae and tensor fascia latae is desired. Side bridge while raising the dominant leg is one exercise that demonstrated its ability to be effective in activating the gluteal muscle over tensor fascia latae muscle. (An aside: Back bridge exercise showed itself beneficial in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) A modification 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 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 Wilson Family Chiropractic care for in our Millville 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 neighboring muscles, exercises concentrated on triggering the gluteus max and gluteus medius without involving surrounding muscles like the tensor fascia latae, etc., are key. 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 such a variety of exercises to pick from, allow your Millville chiropractor to help pinpoint which of your supportive muscles are weak and decide which exercises - natrual parts of chiropractic care - are best to strengthen them.

CONTACT Wilson Family Chiropractic

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 Millville chiropractic appointment with Wilson Family Chiropractic today. Don’t just sit on your weak glutes. Strengthen them, so they can support you best!