The 3 EASIEST Exercises to Fix Back & SI Joint Pain

The gluteus medius muscle is commonly found weak in people suffering with SI joint pain and low back pain. But the exercises to help strengthen this muscle are easily performed without any special equipment. In this video Dr. Brant Pedersen (DC) goes through three of the easiest exercises to help strengthen weak gluteus medius muscles.

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🔖 Here is a pdf summarizing these exercises: https://www.positivemotionhealth.com/...

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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:40 Anatomy of Gluteus Medius Muscle
02:24 Feeling Your Gluteus Medius Muscle Contraction
03:07 Trigger Points In Glute Medius
04:38 Exercise #1 - Seated Clamshell
06:59 Exercise #2 - Advanced Clam
08:50 Exercise #3 - Fire Hydrant
11:26 Sample Set / Rep For Each Exercise

When the gluteus medius muscle is weak it can be the cause of low back pain, SI joint pain, and hip pain. When the gluteus medius muscle is weak it allows the pelvis to become uneven with every step and when someone is standing. This puts increased load into the sacroiliac joints and can lead to SI joint inflammation and sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

We start with the Seated Clamshell strengthening exercise. It is done while seated and involves a gentle contraction of the gluteal muscles held for 30 seconds. This exercise is usually well tolerated by people and is a good place to start with strengthening significantly weak gluteus medius muscles.

The next home exercise is the Advanced Clam. This is a classic twist on a popular physical therapy exercise to help target the gluteus medius and external hip rotator muscles. You perform this exercise while lying on your side. The thigh is flexed to 45 degrees and then your bring your legs about 6 inches apart from each other. The exercise is to slowly in bring your feet together and then apart as you keep your thighs in a parallel position.

The final strengthening exercise is called the Fire Hydrant. This home exercise helps strengthen your hip muscles while also engaging your core and helping isolate hip range of motion from core and trunk muscles. It is performed on all fours and involves slow lying bringing your thigh out to the side while bracing at your torso. This physical therapy exercise has you hold the isometric muscle contraction for 5 seconds on each side.

As the gluteus medius muscle strengthens it helps decrease the stress put into the hip joint which can help support healthy joint function. It also helps with SI joint dysfunction by reducing shearing forces at the SI joints during gait and when standing by keeping the pelvis level.

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About Dr. Brant Pedersen, DC, CCSP

Dr. Brant is a sports chiropractor who founded Positive Motion Chiropractic in northern California (Los Gatos). He specializes in finding rapid and lasting solutions to muscle and joint pain issues. He received his first chiropractic adjustment when competing as a professional windsurfer and it opened his eyes to how quickly the body can heal when given targeted conservative care. Dr. Pedersen graduated valedictorian of his class from Palmer College of Chiropractic West, maintains an adjunct faculty position at his alma mater, and gives back through humanitarian chiropractic care. He enjoys sharing tips and tricks for how to stay active and pain-free and employs them daily to stay active as an extreme sports athlete.

👋🏼 Connect with Dr. Brant Pedersen, DC, CCSP
Web: https://www.positivemotionhealth.com/
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DISCLAIMER: This content (the video, description, links, and comments) is created and published for informational and demonstration purposes only. It is not medical advice or a treatment plan. Consult with a licensed healthcare professional before doing anything contained in this content. In some cases exercise may be inappropriate. This content should not be used to self-diagnose or self-treat any health, medical, or physical condition. Don't use this content to avoid going to a licensed healthcare professional or to replace the advice they give you. Positive Motion Chiropractic makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call emergency services (911 in the USA) or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Use of this content is at your sole risk.