Electromyographic (EMG) Activity of the Gluteus Medius during Various Hip Exercises

Background and Purpose. The purpose of the study was to record and analyze muscle recruitment patterns of the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus muscles when performing a side lying abduction exercise requiring consistent force to roll a ball up and down the wall using the dominant lower extremity. Comparisons were made between the use of either a small, medium or large ball. The subjects performed a standing abduction exercises with theraband around both ankles as well. Case Description. Fifteen subjects were recruited from the University of North Dakota Department of Physical Therapy to perform the four different types of exercises. All subjects met the inclusion criteria which required them to be healthy adults over the age of 18. The exclusion criteria included hip or low back pain in the past three months and allergic reactions to adhesives. Intervention. Exercise order was randomly assigned and all subjects completed each of the exercises. Three repetitions of each exercise were completed, while EMG equipment was used to measure the amount of muscle activity generated in the gluteus medius and maximus muscles in the dominant leg. Outcomes. There were no statistically significant differences found between the exercises. There were some trends observed in the data which behoove the need for further research to be done. Discussion. There are multiple factors to take into consideration as to how this study could be changed or expanded upon to yield significant findings. The fact remains that further and more extensive research is needed