Westwood, your butt is calling and it’s time you listened!

When it comes to lower back pain, there are dozens of factors to be considered as the cause: complex networks of nerves, muscles, and ligaments, not to mention, the vertebrae and intervertebral discs all interact and should all be considered when you feel a twinge of pain in the lower back. But here is something that usually flies under the radar: the butt! 

How your butt contributes to pelvic stability 

To illustrate the above point, take the gluteus medius, one of the muscles more commonly known as a hip abudctor. One of the three gluteal muscles, the gluteus medius is a thick muscle that sits on the outside of the pelvis. It plays a key role in pelvic stability. What does this mean? Picture yourself walking; as you lift one leg up, the opposing gluteus medius contracts to prevent the weight of the free leg from tilting the pelvis toward the opposing side. The mechanics of this movement are played out countless times a day, so a good working set of hip abductors is essental for pelvic and thus spinal stability. 

What happens with weak hip abductors? 

A weak hip abductor fails you because it allows the weight of the free leg to tilt the pelvis down toward the standing leg. This later develops into pain in the lower back and hips.

How we help with pelvic stability and back pain in Westwood

We want to prevent pain that results from weak hip abductors. We do this in two ways: providing you with the knowledge of your body mechanics and providing advice on strengthening and stretching that will contribute to the strength and elasticity of your hip abductors. If your spine is misaligned as a result of weak hip abductors, we provide chiropractic adjustment to restore proper alignment, further encouraging spinal balance and good posture. If you are interested in finding out more about how your butt contributes to back pain, give our office in Westwood a call to schedule an appointment today.