Body Part Of The Month: The Hip

This month our body part of the month is the hip and so we’ve asked our hip and groin specialist, Paul Martin, to tell us about to tell us a little more about the hip:

One of the more important muscles around the hip is gluteus medius - shown in red in the image above. It’s not the biggest muscle in and around the hip and pelvis but its effects are wide ranging and having it function well is important for healthy functioning in many areas, the hip, lower back and knee to name but three.

When it’s all going well

What happens when it all works well for the lower back? When it works well (i.e. it is strong enough to bear the load and operative at the correct time to absorb the work), it is able to stabilise the pelvis on the hip. When we stand on one leg, gluteus medius works to keep the pelvis level providing a level base for the lower back to sit upon.

What happens when it works well for the hip? Gluteus medius plays a large role in keeping the ball of the hip squarely in the socket. It plays a key role in moving the leg away from the midline of the body but it also contributes to both internal and external rotation of the hip (i.e. rolling inwards and outwards) so will control excesses of these movements as well

What happens when it works well for the knee? Due to the control of rotation around the hip, when functioning well it can limit shear and rotation of the femur (long thigh bone) on the tibia (shin bone) which reduces risk of overload in other muscles to control this movement.

When it’s not going well

So what happens when it’s not working well? The opposite of the above. The pelvis will provide a less level base for the spine to support itself from, single leg standing (e.g. during gait) will likely be accompanied by some form of hip or pelvis on hip rotation depending on which parts of the muscle aren’t playing ball which means that a number of rotational forces will resolve themselves around the knee.

Sounds catastrophic! How can we possibly survive without gluteus medius functioning? The body has a phenomenal ability to create compensatory movements or actions that mean that we can still function if a few muscles aren’t doing what they should when they should. However if these things get out of control it can lead to tight muscles on the outside of the leg and Runner’s Knee, or tightness in the back muscles or even back pain.

How to get it going well

Keeping on top of this little muscle won’t cure all your ills, but it can certainly help keep some nasty aches and pains away.

The video in this link gives five good gluteus medius exercises and also shows progressions too. They are:

1. Side-lying abductions

2. The pelvic drop

3. Single leg deadlift

4. Single leg squat

5. Side bridge (or side plank).

Are your hips causing you concern? Call us on 02030 12 12 22 to book an appointment with one of our hip and groin specialist physios.

Words by Paul Martin.