Dear friends,
Spending long days in front of a computer, or in traffic on the way home? A brisk walk or jog sounds great at the end of a long day, but first you may need to turn on your hip muscles.
Enter the gluteus medius:
- a relatively large muscle on the side of the hip that helps to stabilize the pelvis
- allows for side-stepping and side-lifting of the leg (think fun 80’s workout video leg lifts!)
The gluteus medius tends to become inactivated with periods of inactivity, and often won’t re-activate with just walking or running. Without an active gluteus medius, our pelvis starts to tilt to the side which puts stress on our low back. Over time this can lead to low back pain, hip pain and even pain that spreads to other parts of the body.
Here’s where we can help: during our sports medicine assessment we will test your gluteus medius and the surrounding structures before using acupuncture to re-activate muscles that have been impacted by sitting too much.
In the meantime, check with your doctor first and try this easy exercise to activate the gluteus medius before you get active.
If you need any extra help, we’re always just an email or a phone call away. Book your next appointment today to get a full low back and hip assessment, and please send this video to a friend who might be complaining of back, hip or leg pain.
Dr. Zoe Linton