A right pain in the....
It's been a little longer than I expected since my last blog post, but the months are just rolling into one...they say time flies when you're having fun! Now you may be puzzled by the title of this post, but I am going to get straight to it. I have had a lot of clients recently that suffer with gluteal muscle problems or have other symptoms presenting but the source being within this particular muscle group. So I thought it would be beneficial to discuss this area of the body, as it is often overlooked.
Whether you run, walk, go to the gym or simply work at a desk, it is more than likely you have some tightness in your glutes. The amount of power that comes from this group of muscles is remarkable. I am going to explain a little about each muscle, and this may help you understand this area of your body a bit more.
You have your Gluteus Maximus muscle, the heaviest muscle in the body. The most basic movement it helps perform is walking upstairs and when you get up from being in a seated position. If you're a runner, this muscle performs a forceful extension of the hip. If you have a lack of power and strength when doing quick firing movements or pain when running, this could be as a result of a weak gluteus maximus or tightness in this muscle. Other sports that heavily utilise this muscle are surfing, windsurfing and activities that involve jumping or lifting weights. Performing squats will help strengthen this muscle and these stretches will help relieve tension.
Then there is your Gluteus Medius muscle, which is a deeper muscle to the Gluteus maximus. This muscle is most commonly used in any side stepping movements and sporting examples of this are skiing, ice skating and cross country where terrain is varied. If this muscle is tight, it can lead to pelvic imbalances thus creating pain in the hips, lower back and knees, if chronic. When you walk, Gluteus Medius prevents the pelvis from dropping towards the leg that is not weight bearing. Therefore, if there is tightness in this muscle, then the most basic of everyday movements can be impacted. To strengthen this muscle, perform abduction exercises (moving the legs out to the side and away from the body), there are often weight machines at the gym that you can use for this. Here are some stretches to help release tension deep within this muscle. Gluteus Minimus is situated deep to Gluteus Medius and the same strengthening exercises and stretches apply to this muscle as it works alongside medius to create the same movements.
Finally, the Piriformis muscle, which some of you may have experienced issues with. If any of you suffer with sciatica, it is possible the Piriformis muscle is the cause of it. In many cases, the muscle becomes tight and squeezes the sciatic nerve, commonly known as piriformis syndrome. When you move your first leg out of the car, the piriformis is creating this movement. Any difficulty in this movement can be as a result of tightness or lack of strength in this muscle. Sports such a swimming, especially breast stroke utilise the Piriformis. Here are some strengthening exercises and stretches to help the Piriformis muscle to release.
So there we have it, some information on such an important group of muscles. Classes such as Yoga and Pilates will be highly beneficial to stretching and strengthening specific areas of your body such as the glutes. I know that when I do Yoga, opening up the hips and performing postures such a lunges and the pigeon pose work wonders for me. I feel such a benefit to holding myself in these positions to allow my muscles to relax into the posture and release.
Another favourite of mine are massage balls, which can target specific areas of tightness and help break down the rigid fibres of the deeper glute muscles. This is particularly helpful after performing many squats and other exercises that engage the glutes.
So when you go for your next deep tissue or sports massage, don't be hesitant to ask about a glute massage, the relief you can gain can be significant! Wishing you all a lovely bank holiday weekend. To those of you running the Bracknell half marathon the first weekend of May, best of luck!
BW Massage Therapy xo
