The Vital Glutes: Connecting the Gait Cycle to Pain and Dysfunction

The weight of the head is approximately 7% of total body weight (shoulders and arms are around 14%). This means that for a person weighing 176 lb. (80 kg), the head will weigh around 11 to 13 lb. (5 to 6 kg). If the head and shoulders move forward, out of ideal alignment, the activation of the neck extensors will increase dramatically, resulting in

Bilateral hypertonicity of the rectus femoris will cause the pelvis to adopt an anterior tilt, resulting in lower back pain due to the fifth lumbar vertebra facet joints being forced into a lordotic position.

Poor posture is a faulty relationship of the various parts of the body, which produces increased strain on the supporting structures and in which there is less efficient balance of the body over its base of support. The

Richardson et al. (1999) identified the lumbar multifidus and the TVA as the key stabilizers of the lumbar spine. Both muscles link in with the thoracolumbar fascia to provide what Richardson et al. refer to as “a natural, deep muscle corset to protect the back from injury.”

supinated position (tri-planar motion of plantar flexion, inversion, and adduction).

We have already looked at how the relative shortness of the iliopsoas, rectus femoris, and adductors can be responsible for the apparent weakness inhibition or misfiring of the glutes. These three muscles are antagonistic to the Gmax and Gmed, and because of their anatomical position, any shortness in these muscles can result in a compensatory neur

Osar (2012) mentions that nutation is the anterior inferior motion of the sacral base, while counternutation is the posterior superior motion of the sacral base. Nutation is necessary for the locking of the SIJ during unilateral stance. The inability to nutate the sacrum is a leading cause of unilateral stance instability and one of the causes of t

When they walk, the hip has to naturally extend; as they perform this function, the tight structures mentioned will limit the hip extension movement. To try to compensate, the innominate bone will rotate even further into anterior rotation, which will have the effect of switching off the Gmax and switching on the hamstrings, potentially causing mic

Muscle imbalances are ultimately reflected in posture. As mentioned earlier, postural muscles are innervated by a smaller motor neuron and therefore have a lower excitability threshold.