Fort Wayne 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 Fort Wayne back pain, walking, balanced, up-right. Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc takes 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 Fort Wayne chiropractor is focusing on the gluteal muscles in this article. 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 – 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 good in activating the gluteal muscle over tensor fascia latae muscle. (Side note from this study: Back bridge exercise showed itself beneficial in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) One variation of side plank is the side-sling plank. Researchers explained that it enhanced gluteus medius strength post-injury. Side-sling plank with hip medial rotation proved itself superior for patients with gluteus medius weakness  but  stronger tensor fasciae latae. (2) Side bridge exercises were documented 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 Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc takes care of in our Fort Wayne chiropractic practice. 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 neighboring muscles, exercises concentrated on triggering the gluteus max and gluteus medius without involving surrounding muscles like the tensor fascia latae, etc., are vital. One simple exercise that triggered 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 choose from, allow your Fort Wayne 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 Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc

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 Fort Wayne chiropractic appointment with Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc today. Don’t just sit on your weak glute muscles. Exercise them, so they can best support you!