| It is fair to say that the most powerful muscle in the | | | | weakness in this muscle due to spinal nerve root |
| body is the gluteus maximus. Let us now discuss the | | | | irritation. Incoordinated contraction of the gluteus |
| concept and importance of this muscle in creating | | | | maximus due to pain and spasm can lead to buckling |
| chronic myofacial pain especially how it can develop | | | | of the hip and knee causing the person to fall causing |
| into producing total body pain (fibromyalgia) and | | | | more injuries to other segments of the spine. |
| chonic fatigue with or without pain. | | | | Shortening contractions of the gluteus maximus with |
| It is well recorded that Low back pain due to L5 and | | | | very little reciprocal movements into hip flexion can |
| S1 nerve root irritation is very common and starts | | | | be encouraged by walking backwards. |
| young. So by the time the patient presents with | | | | This is an exercise activity that is extremely useful |
| lower back pain in middle or old-age, even though the | | | | for strengthening the gluteus maximus since it does |
| pain may be acute due to sudden or insidious trauma, | | | | not call for reciprocal hip flexion. The most optimal |
| the pain symptoms may progress to develop into a | | | | method to have shortening contractions of the |
| chronic pain stage, many times involving the whole | | | | gluteus maximus without reciprocal hip flexion |
| body as in fibromyalgia with accompanying fatigue. | | | | movements is the eToims Twitch Relief Method. |
| This is because the L5 and S1 nerve roots may have | | | | The twitch contractions produce internal stretch |
| had chronic changes for several decades prior to the | | | | exercise and encourage local blood flow allowing |
| onset of acute symptoms. | | | | nerves to heal. The importance of treating gluteus |
| The Gluteus maximus comes into play in shortening | | | | maximus properly relates to the myofascial |
| contractions such as the act of standing up, squatting | | | | connection to the midback and neck through the |
| down, bicycling or swimming as the hip and thigh | | | | thoracolumbar fascia and to the other lower limb |
| moves backwards (hip extension), etc. Although | | | | muscles such as the tensor fascia lata through the |
| these movements strengthen the gluteus maximus, | | | | iliotibial tract. |
| the fact that there are reciprocal movements of hip | | | | Muscles supplied by the cervical nerve roots such as |
| extension into hip flexion that calls for its lengthening | | | | the latissimus dorsi and the trapezius muscles are |
| contraction, makes it prone to injury. | | | | connected to the gluteus maximus through the |
| Its actions are most important during lengthening | | | | thoracolumbar fascia. Concurrently or eventually, |
| contractions to stabilize the hip in flexion such as | | | | patients with lower back problems especially at the |
| walking, sitting, lunging forward, maintenance in the | | | | L5 and S1 levels will develop neck, midback and lower |
| squat position, hip flexed position during bicycling etc. | | | | back pain due to tightness of the thoracolumba |
| predisposes it to injuries. These frequent lengthening | | | | fascia. Often there will be pain down the upper limbs |
| contractions in the presence of L5 and/or S1 nerve | | | | from cervical nerve root irritation and lower limbs |
| root irritation (gluteus maximus has very strong S1 | | | | from lumbosacral nerve root irritation. |
| nerve root supply) causes weakness in this most | | | | The effect of total body pain results in fibromyalgia |
| powerful muscle in the body. | | | | and fatigue from presence of multiple focal muscle |
| Spasm and weakness in the gluteus maximus will add | | | | spasms in many muscles supplied by many cervical |
| more weakness to the underlying nerve related | | | | and lumbosacral nerve roots. |