Gluteal amnesia

I was evaluated by a PT yesterday to address what has largely presented as hip/low back/groin pain over the better part of this year. Several things were immediately apparent: First, my range of movement with respect to internal rotation of my right leg is very limited. Second, I have some SI Joint irritation and, third, I have "gluteal amnesia." It's more pronounced on my left side, but it's an issue on the right side as well.

This latter issue was something I'd never heard of. Has anybody else had to deal with it?

I have a series of exercises I have to do on a daily basis. I'm also supposed to see him a couple times a week for the time being. I'm sure hoping that, assuming I'm a good and compliant patient, that it helps. I haven't yet received the results of my x-rays yet, but the PT didn't think it was arthritis.

"Gluteal amnesia" sounds like when you forget about your butt!:p

I'm glad you are seeing a professional about this. I've been dealing with something similar, but it's gotten much better with regular Pilates and yoga. It's not something that I feel I need to see a medical professional about anymore. I used go to a PT (who is also a chiropractor) about it, and that helped.

Wishing you long-term (and quick) relief!

Thanks, Tulip. I need to talk to my PT about how best to round out my fitness routine. My sense is that I need to add some pilates or conditioning into the mix--in addition to yoga and cycling. Pilates has never appealed to me in the same way as yoga, but my butt needs a targeted workout apparently.

Pilates has helped me in so many ways. My PT recommended it very strongly. I was fortunate to live near a wonderful classical Pilates (and Pilates-only) studio when I started, and worked with them for two years before I moved. Now I continue with what I learned there on my own doing the mat series. Someday I would like to become a Pilates instructor so that I can help people like I was helped. But for now, I continue doing the mat series every other day. The full Pilates studios in my new city are not convenient to where I live.

I think if you get a good classical mat course, you will really notice a difference. Be sure that the teacher understands any modifications that you might need because of your injury. It's different than yoga, but I find them to be useful for different aspects of my fitness.

I'd be interested in what your PT suggests.

(I've also heard jokes about "Pilates butt," but it's true. Nothing wrong with having a nice, and pain-free, backside).

Thankfully, my yoga studio also has some very good Pilates instructors. I'll talk to them and see what class they most recommend. It's more a question of how to best fit it into my schedule.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

and, third, I have "gluteal amnesia." It's more pronounced on my left side, but it's an issue on the right side as well.

This latter issue was something I'd never heard of. Has anybody else had to deal with it?

.

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We call it "dumb butt syndrome." "Gluteal amnesia" is a cute phrase for it, I'll have to toss that around. :p

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

We call it "dumb butt syndrome." "Gluteal amnesia" is a cute phrase for it, I'll have to toss that around. :p

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Dumb butt syndrome is certainly descriptive. I certainly felt dumb yesterday when I realized how little strength I had in my glutes.

so what does it actually mean, Gluteal Amnesia?? is it muscles failing to engage? or???

Knotted will likely have a better definition from it, but yes, it means that my glutes aren't triggering they way they're supposed to; like I've forgotten to use them. If I understand correctly, your hamstrings typcially take up the slack, which in turn causes other problems and pain. Hopefully, it explains some or all of the pain I've been having but, in any event, it's something I need to work on.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

...Hopefully, it explains some or all of the pain I've been having but, in any event, it's something I need to work on.

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Hopefully the physical therapy will settle the pain you have been having - good thoughts headed your way!

If it is really bad, is it Gluteal Alzheimer's?

It's all cuz women can lock their knees and hips and shut off their core and glutes. (Saving calories for winter by locking joints instead of using muscles.) All kinds of cr@p follows.

DON'T LOCK YOUR KNEES!
(and please tuck your tailbone under and hold your lower belly firm and flat)

I was diagnosed with something similar in my lower abs when I had crippling ITBS. My upper abs were strong, my hips, hams, glutes, etc were strong. My PT said, "I suspect it's not that your lower abs are especially weak, per se, but that they just aren't talking to the rest of your core muscles, so they're not firing when they should." I was used to relying on other muscles (lower back, hips, etc) when I should have been using my lower abs. She gave me a bunch of exercises that were easy, from a physical/strength point of view, but focused on getting my muscles to work together, and then a few pilates core exercises that were pretty painful when executed slowly and carefully. It did help.

Those were the first muscles I was given exercises to work on when I started PT. Lower abs and large muscles in the lower back.

P-I-L-A-T-E-S. Seriously. It gets all those muscles--your powerhouse. It's even more important as we get older so we can hold ourselves up. Many falls by elderly people--the ones that result in broken hips and such--are not the result of tripping, but of not being able to hold up one's own body.

And good posture, of course. Pilates helps with that, too.

Oh, JessMarimba's post reminded me, I may have had a tad of "gluteal amnesia" too ;). This was a few years ago now, but I remember during the assessment I was asked to resist something and then point to the muscle I was using to do it... I had no trouble resisting, but apparently (out of habit, again) I was using gluteus maximus instead of the gluteus medius that I should have been using. The "easy" exercises I mentioned above were to get my gluteus medius to fire. Again, not really weakness (my one-legged squats were excellent, apparently) -- just not recruiting appropriately, if that makes sense.

I wish I could afford a PT to oversee my training (even when I'm not injured). PT is the awesomest thing ever.

Have never heard of it... but I confess I had about the same reaction Tulip did; it sounds like you lost your butt, and forgot where you left it. :rolleyes: