08/31/2020
Get the Maximus out of your Gluteus!
Did you sit today? Walk? Stand up? Squat? Bend down? If so, you have 18 muscles (9 on each side) to thank for it.
A commonly overlooked part of the body (ah hem…clinically) is the glutes. However, the health and structure of the muscles of this region impact everything from low back pain, to the ease of your stride, to neck and shoulder pain. If you think about it, your muscles and joints make up an interconnected rope and pulley system. If the ropes in one area are knotted up, they will pull other areas out of alignment to compensate…which then causes further dysfunction. Clients often do not realize the level of dysfunction in this region until a therapist applies pressure, often very little, and the client discovers it is very tender/painful.
Does that nerve in your leg “zing” you when you first get up in the morning? It's likely your sciatic nerve is being pinched by your piriformis, one of the 6 deep muscles in this group, infamous for causing pressure on that nerve. Overworked and underappreciated, this muscle often becomes hypertonic (overly tight). The most direct way to relieve this pressure is through massage and a therapist performing stretches with/for you as part of the session.
Do you work from home (or a low-budget office)? If so, what kind of chair do you sit in? Was it designed for office work, or is it a kitchen chair or bar stool? Do you have shoulder stiffness now? Do your legs ache when you sit too long? Chances are, your posture in that chair is putting pressure on your blood supply and nerves, resulting in those worsening aches and pains. Massage helps your body recover from that 9to5 wear and tear.
Contact me today, to discuss how a focused massage therapy session could improve your overall physical wellness!
