Gluteal amnesia- a condition when your glutes stop performing their
intended functions- results in the piriformis working overtime to
produce the desired movements. The overworked piriformis gets tight from
repeated activity. Although you can still perform external rotation
while standing, abduction and external rotation, sitting Indian style,
is another story.
Gluteal amnesia is fairly widespread. Desk jobs are often a main culprit. Sitting with the hips flexed causes the glutes to be in a permanently stretched position. When a muscle on one side of the body is tight, its antagonist, the muscle that performs the opposite movement of the tight muscle, has to elongate to accommodate the other sides shortness. In this case the hip flexors get tight so the glutes, which produce hip extension, lengthen in response.
An elongated muscle loses the ability to contract forcefully. It weakens and gets little activation. Eventually, the brain will stop recruiting it to produce desired movements. Your brain “forgets” how to use the glutes, hence gluteal amnesia. Other muscles must pick up the slack for the dormant glutes. Hello groin pulls, hamstring strains, lower back pain, and a tight piriformis.
In normal situations the piriformis will work with other muscles to produce movement. When the piriformis has to pick up the slack for an underperforming muscle, it gets tighter than normal. It can also get tighter from daily habits such as sleeping in a certain position or doing repetitive movements. When we encounter a tight piriformis, we need to stretch it so that we can re-establish hip external rotation. Here is the stretch to be performed
Gluteal amnesia is fairly widespread. Desk jobs are often a main culprit. Sitting with the hips flexed causes the glutes to be in a permanently stretched position. When a muscle on one side of the body is tight, its antagonist, the muscle that performs the opposite movement of the tight muscle, has to elongate to accommodate the other sides shortness. In this case the hip flexors get tight so the glutes, which produce hip extension, lengthen in response.
An elongated muscle loses the ability to contract forcefully. It weakens and gets little activation. Eventually, the brain will stop recruiting it to produce desired movements. Your brain “forgets” how to use the glutes, hence gluteal amnesia. Other muscles must pick up the slack for the dormant glutes. Hello groin pulls, hamstring strains, lower back pain, and a tight piriformis.
In normal situations the piriformis will work with other muscles to produce movement. When the piriformis has to pick up the slack for an underperforming muscle, it gets tighter than normal. It can also get tighter from daily habits such as sleeping in a certain position or doing repetitive movements. When we encounter a tight piriformis, we need to stretch it so that we can re-establish hip external rotation. Here is the stretch to be performed