By Rhys Dale: Chiropractor Cleveland Chiropractic
As we approach the holiday season, let’s have a chat about one of the more common symptoms chiropractors see, lateral hip pain.
By far the most common cause of lateral hip pain is gluteal tendinopathy, but there can also be swelling of the trochanteric bursa which sits above. The conditions typically arise from compression and poor healing capacity of these tissues. Often this is due to a functional weakness of the glute medius and maximus muscles, which is very common when we sit for too long. It is also estimated that 33% of patients suffering from recurrent non-specific lower back pain also have gluteal weakness as a driving factor to their condition.
The holiday season is a great time to travel and catch up with family, but it’s also critical time to keep our bodies mobile and moving. The World health organisation recommends people sit no longer than 4 hrs total a day, and no more than 1 hr uninterrupted, which is a difficult goal for most people to achieve.
There are periods of time when you simply can’t avoid prolonged sitting, so it’s important to have a solid strategy for switching on and strengthening your glutes during these times.
Try this every hour
Stand up for the last 5 minutes of every hour
Squeeze you glutes together as tight as possible (until they feel like they might cramp)
Go for a brisk walk around the room or outside for the remainder of the time
Bend down towards your toes, then extend back as far as you can, arching your back
There are a multitude of other fantastic glute exercises to build up strength. For instance, the supine bridge, clamshells and bird dog exercises can all be performed with no equipment in a very small space. If you don’t know these exercises you can speak to one of our practitioners to learn how to perform them, or a simple google search will give you many demonstrational videos. Keep your body happy these holidays and enjoy the festive season.
Requiring a gift for someone special
Gift vouchers are available from Victoria Point Chiropractic for massage or goods and services. Drop in or call 07 3207 9000
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