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Fitness Systems
Silver State Athletic Center
5680 Morgan Mill Road
Carson City, NV 89701
Phone: 775 883 3500
Fax: 775 841 5233
Relieve Low Back Pain and Build a Bigger Vertical
By Lucas D. Wold www.CarsonCityFitnessSystems.com
A lack of mobility at the hip can go beyond movement distortion and go all the way into severe pain. This issue is addressed in nearly every movement preparation phase of training here at Carson City Fitness Systems.
Today we’ll take a look at the piriformis muscle. This small (but important!) muscle externally rotates the hip. For physiology geeks, the prirformis originates on the anterior sacrum, posterior portions of the ischium, and the obdurator foramen. It inserts on the superior and posterior aspect of the greater trochanter.
The act of sitting all day, especially with your wallet in your pocket, can result in a condition called Piriformis Syndrome. Piriformis Syndrome is caused by local trauma and results in things such as adhesions, anatomic peculiarities such as the common peroneal nerve passing through the muscle and muscle and vascular issues due to direct compression.
The belly of the piriformis crosses over the sciatic nerve, which can result in SI joint, butt, groin, hip and leg pain.
In addition, sitting not only damages the piriformis due to compression issues, it actually cause the muscle to shorten, resulting in more pain and loss of athletic performance.
Any sport which involves the athlete moving on one leg (all of them) needs optimum functioning of the piriformis.
How will we go about fixing your piriformis?
The piriformis can be stretched statically. We have all athletes perform this stretch before practice and competitions, and again immediately before vertical jump testing.
Static Piriformis Stretch
Start:
- Cross Right ankle over left knee
- Reach between legs with right hand
- Link left and right hands between left thigh
Finish:
- Pull thigh in towards chest
Hold for desired length of time and then switch legs.
Active and partner assisted stretching can work wonders. These stretches should only be performed by a qualified fitness professional, like the master coaches at Carson City Fitness Systems.
Self Myofascial Release techniques involve using a foam roller or tennis ball to massage the piriformis muscle. Palpation is difficult, so again, see a qualified fitness professional.
In terms of strength training, we focus on glute max and gluteus medius strength, since piriformis issues often arise from a lack of glute activation.
We use two main methods of activating and strengthening the gluteal muscles: The Glute Bridge and the Fire Hydrant.
Glute Bridge
Start:
- Lay on back
- Knees bent (sit-up position)
- Arms to side
Finish:
- Knees, hips, shoulder in straight line
- Suck abs in
Push through the feet and squeeze glutes to create the movement. Repeat for desired number of reps.
Fire Hydrant
Start:
- Hands and knees on floor
- Back neutral
Finish:
- Knee out to side
- Hips square to ground
Repeat for desired number of reps.
If you are having issues with low back pain or athletic performance, come in and see us at Carson City Fitness Systems. Until then, you have some excellent self-treatment options.
To your health!
