Toronto 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 us Toronto back pain sufferers, walking, balanced, up-right. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre considers 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 time to talk about them all. Your Toronto 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 advantageous. Side bridge while lifting the dominant leg is one exercise that showed itself to be effective to activate the gluteal muscle over tensor fascia latae muscle. (An aside: Back bridge exercise was beneficial in strengthening the multifidus muscle.) (1) One modification of side plank is the side-sling plank. Researchers explained that it enhanced gluteus medius strength after injuries. Side-sling plank with hip medial rotation demonstrated itself superior for patients with gluteus medius weakness  but  dominant 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 point for back pain sufferers like those Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre takes care of in our Toronto 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 focused on triggering 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 types of exercise possibilities, depend on your Toronto 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 Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre

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 degenerative disc disease and back pain who attained relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that incorporated exercise.

Schedule your Toronto chiropractic appointment with Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre today. Don’t just sit on your weak glute muscles. Strengthen them, so they can support you best!