Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Lower Back Pain: Gluteus Medius Weakness

Chiropractic care has historically done well in the treatment of lower back pain. But lets be honest here,one treatment miracles are few and far between. I usually tell patients after their first treatment that the true test of any modality is not how it feels right now but how it feels in 24-48 hours. Increasing joint motion and thus relieving the mechanical pain is a relatively easy task; restoring muscular balance and returning long term stability to the lower back and lower extremities is a different animal. One of the muscles that is central to many low back cases is the gluteus medius.

The gluteus medius muscle originates at the dorsal ilium below the iliac crest and inserts at the top outside surfaces of the greater trochanter. It is the major abductor of the thigh. The anterior fibres rotate the hip internally and the posterior fibres rotate externally. The muscle is innervated by the superior gluteal nerve (L4, L5, S1) and gains its blood supply via the superior gluteal artery.



When bearing weight on one leg, such as the stance phase of running or walking up steps, the normal role of gluteus medius is reversed, causing it to act as a pelvic stabilizer.

For example, when the right leg is bearing all the body's weight and the left leg is in the swing phase (in the air), the glute medius muscle contracts on the right side to slow the downward motion of the left side of the pelvis. If the gluteus medius is not functioning well enough to achieve this control, the left (unaffected) pelvis will drop and the athlete is said to have a "Trendelenburg gait".
Often, but not always, you may see the same weakness in walking (producing a waddling motion or, in extremis, a limp), and the dysfunction will then be more marked when they run.

Weakness in gluteus medius will have implications all the way down the leg to the foot.
Gluteus medius weakness allows:

• the femur to adduct and internally rotate excessively-Hip & Back pain

• the knee to fall into a valgus position-Medial Knee pain

• the tibia to rotate internally relative to the foot-Foot & Ankle Pain, Lateral shin pain

• an increase in weight transfer to the medial aspect of the foot.-Achilles tendon pain, plantar fascitis

The glute medius being less than a full participant can lead to the patient needing hip and/or knee replacement!

Spare yourself the agony and the expense by taking the time to stretch & strengthen the glute medius.



Pictured at left is one stretch that can effectively lengthen the glute medius. In a seated position place the affected leg over the unaffected leg. Gently apply pressure against the upper thigh/knee until you feel the stretch in the buttock. Hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds and repeat 3 times. I always recommend stretching both legs.



The Clamshell Exercise for External Hip Rotation




If you belong to a gym, you can use the Abduction/Adduction Machine or any cable machine with the aid of an ankle strap.





Dr David Marcon
Work Smarter Not Harder!
Cincinnati, Ohio
drdavidmarcon.com

7 comments:

  1. I like the helpful information you provide for your video. I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently.

    I am quite sure I’ll learn many new stuff proper here! Best of luck for the following!

    regards,
    Jane

    seattle chiropractic

    ReplyDelete
  2. Its really a helpful post about the lower back treatment with exercises. Lower back pain is one of the most common problems faced by many people. The pain can be caused due to excessive two wheeler riding, improper cushioning on the seats, and exposure to jerks, carrying heavy weights, wrong posture etc.
    back muscle pain in Canada

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am very much pleased with the contents you have mentioned.if you want more information something like visit Atlanta pain management get more details.

    ReplyDelete
  4. There are so many people who don't understand what a chiropractor really does. You share informative post I hope you will share another good post. I read about Las Vegas Back Pain Relief.
    Las Vegas Back Pain Relief

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello everyone, i'm Linda Harry from United State i was diagnosed with Parkinson Disease  for over 6 years which made me loose my job and my relationship with my Fiance after he discovered that i was having Parkinson, he departed from me, and i tried all my best to make him stays, but he neglected me until a friend of mine  from UK told me Great healer, who will restore my life back with his powerful healing herbal medicine. then he  sent me his email address to contact him- drimolaherbalmademedicine@gmail.com. and i quickly contacted him, and he said my condition can be solved, that he will treat the disease immediately only if i can accept trust on him and accept his terms and condition, i Agreed because i was so much in need of help by all means, so i did all he instructed me to do. And surprisingly after two weeks, He sent me a text, that i should hurry up to the hospital for a checkup, which i truly did, i confirm from my doctor that i am now ( PARKINSON NEGATIVE) my eyes filled with tears and joy, crying heavily because truly the disease deprived me of many things from my life, This is a Miracle, dr imoloa also uses his powerful herbal medicine to cure the following diseases:  lupus disease,  mouth ulcer,  mouth cancer, body pain, fever, hepatitis A.B.C.,   syphilis,  diarrhea,  HIV/AIDS,  Huntington's Disease,   back acne,  Chronic renal failure,   addison disease,  Chronic Pain,   Crohn's Disease,   Cystic Fibrosis,  Fibromyalgia,   Inflammatory Bowel Disease,  fungal nail disease, Lyme Disease, Celia disease, Lymphoma, Major Depression,  Malignant Melanoma,   Mania,  Melorheostosis,   Meniere's Disease,  Mucopolysaccharidosis , Multiple Sclerosis,  Muscular Dystrophy,  Rheumatoid Arthritis, Alzheimer's Disease, parkison disease, vaginal cancer, epilepsy,  Anxiety Disorders, Autoimmune Disease,   Back Pain,  Back Sprain,   Bipolar Disorder,  Brain Tumour,  Malignant,   Bruxism, Bulimia,  Cervical Disk Disease, cardiovascular disease, Neoplasms, chronic respiratory disease,  mental and behavioural disorder,     Cystic Fibrosis,   Hypertension, Diabetes, asthma,  Inflammatory autoimmune-mediated arthritis.  chronic kidney disease, inflammatory joint disease,  impotence,  feta alcohol spectrum,  Dysthymic Disorder,   Eczema, tuberculosis,  Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, bone cancer, lung cancer. contact him on email- drimolaherbalmademedicine@gmail.com. and also on whatssap- +2347081986098

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing great information.If you are feeling unbearable pain in your lower back then laser therapy for lower back pain should be best treatment.

    ReplyDelete