Three separate muscles make up your buttocks: the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is the largest, most visible of the three buttock muscles. The gluteus medius is a smaller muscle located near the...
Your knee joint is a complex structure of bone, cartilage, ligaments and tendons connecting to muscles. Knee flexion uses several muscles on the back of your thigh, as well as some supporting muscles in your inner front thighs. Flexion involves...
Injuries to the lower back often cause pain in the back as well as pain in the hip and legs. Inactivity, stress and repetitive movements strain the muscles, bones, joints and ligaments of a person's lower back and hips. Over time, such trauma...
The sacroiliac joint, often referred to as the SI joint, is the joint that connects the sacrum and ilium bones in your pelvis A weak SI joint can lead to pain in the legs, hips or lower back and in severe cases can lead to a inflammation condition...
Many conditions can cause simultaneous hip pain. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, hip pain can be generated by any tissue or structure in or around the hip joint--the joint that links the femur or thigh bone to the ilium or...
The hip flexor muscles are attached to the hip joint to allow the femur, which is the upper leg bone, to flex onto the pelvis region. In simpler terms, the hip flexor muscles allow the knee to pull up. The hip is a large, deep and stable ball and...
The hip flexor muscles work together to bend the body at the hips. There are two primary hip flexors: the psoas major and iliacus. Because of their proximity to one another, their common insertion point on the femur, and the function they share in...
Your pelvis is made up of your sacrum, tail bone, ilium, ischium and pubic bones. Your abdominal, spinal erectors, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and hip flexor muscles all attach to these bones, creating movement and stability at your hips and...
The SI joint, or sacroiliac joint, is where your sacrum and ilium bones of your pelvis come together. The SI joint connects the base of your spine to your pelvis and has very low mobility. This joint absorbs shock and compression created by bad...
Percent body fat is a tool used by many fitness professionals to evaluate your overall health status and disease risk. Personal trainers and dieticians use percent body fat as a tool to measure progress of their recommended exercise and diet...
There is no doubt about it, running places a heavy physical demand on your body and can sometimes lead to injury. One uncomfortable injury of the lower back and/or hips is sacroiliac joint inflammation and pain, often called sacroiliac joint...
Pelvic pain can take a variety of forms. It often originates in the muscles of the pelvic floor and may be brought on or worsened by certain activities, such as sexual intercourse. Itching and burning in the pelvic area may result from infection....
Glutes refers to three muscles that are located in your buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The word gluteus comes from the Greek word that means buttocks, and maximus, medius and minimus refer to the relative size...
Hip extension involves the backward movement of your hip. This decreases the angle between your thigh and torso. While there is much less movement during hip extension than any other movement of the hip, hip extension is required for day-to-day...
An elliptical trainer is a tool for building cardiovascular endurance and provides you with a total body workout. This low-impact of the exercise is ideal for people with lower back, knee or ankle joints issues. However, improper form can increase...
The SI joint, or sacroilial joint, is located between your sacrum and ilium, which is the middle bone of your pelvis below the sacrum. It functions as a shock absorber and helps stabilize your body during movement, according to Steven G. Yeomans,...
The word "subluxation" is derived from Latin and means "less than full dislocation of a joint." More specifically, a subluxation occurs when movement of a joint goes beyond its maximum passive range so that the alignment between the joint surfaces...
The sacroiliac, or SI, joint is located where the bones at base of the spine join the bones of the pelvis. It is formed by the sacrum, which is located right above the tail bone and the ilium or the top portion of the girdle shaped pelvis. The SI...
Hip flexors allow you to sit up from a reclined position or raise your legs while lying in bed. These muscles also assist walking, climbing stairs and stepping onto a platform. Sitting for an extended period of time on a regular basis tightens...
The sacroiliac joint, often called the SI joint, actually consists of two articulations, one on either side of the pelvis near the midline. Here, the sacrum --- the lowest part of the spine --- joins the ilium, or main pelvic bone. It is not...
An injury to the gluteus minimus muscle requires careful treatment to heal properly. Consult your doctor for an accurate diagnosis and to develop a comprehensive rehabilitation plan based on your goals and needs, and then a physical therapist to...
Abduction of the hip occurs when the thigh is moved away from the mid-point of your body, according to Virginia Commonwealth University. Hip abduction occurs when the femur is rotated approximately 40 degrees, which causes the leg to make contact...
The pelvic bone is a large bone located at the base of the spine. It consists of two hip bones that are in turn comprised of three bones: the ilium, the ischium and the pubis. The ilium is the largest part, located at the upper portion of the hip...
The quadriceps femoris, more commonly referred to as the quadriceps or quads, is a group of four muscles at the front of the thigh. Individually, the muscles are called the rectus femoris, the vastus lateralis, the vastus medialis and the vastus...
The butterfly stretch and its variations decrease back pain through releasing tension in the areas near the back and promoting joint mobility. There is a version of this stretching exercise for everyone, even if you are not particularly flexible....
Your pelvic bones provide support for your internal organs and a sturdy base for your legs. A fracture to any portion of your pelvis requires immediate medical attention. Even after your emergency room visit or hospital stay, you will likely cope...
Within the skeletal system of the body, there are bones that are made of two layers of compact bone with porous bone between them. Referred to as flat bones, they either offer substantial protection to other organs, such as the skull, which...
Grading the strength of muscle groups is an important feature of the physical exam. The data gathered from this portion of the examination might be helpful in diagnosing a condition, characterizing a range of symptoms, and as a marker for physical...
Your sacroiliac, or SI, joint, is one of two joints that combine to form your hip girdle. It joins your sacrum, or tail bone, to the larger bone of your hips called the ilium. This joint isn't designed to be able to perform a large range of...
Back spasms can be caused by many problems including discs or repetitive motion. Learn how to treat back spasms in this physical therapy video.
