Shazneen Mistry
Gluteal Amnesia, also known as the ‘Dead Butt Syndrome’, is a condition where prolonged sitting can make some of the body muscles inactive so that they tend to forget their real function.
This syndrome happens when one develops the pattern of sitting for long hours with inactive hip and knee movement then over a period of time the brain diminishes the neural drive to the gluteal muscles. It has become a problem today because, when physical activities are massively affected and a majority of the working schedules are restricted within the confined areas of the home, people are getting less physical activity and that could lead to the development of this syndrome. Progressively, they start getting ineffective and inefficient.
Normally when we stand up our gluteal muscles ‘involuntarily’ give support to the pelvis, to keep our spine straight. The action of these gluteal muscles is spontaneous without us being conscious about it. Once these muscles are stretched out and lose the ability to automatically tighten and support the pelvis during standing and walking, it can lead to Gluteal Amnesia.
People with obesity and an inactive lifestyle are more at risk of developing it. Apart from them, to others, this condition could occur due to deficiency of vitamin D, vitamin B12, and over-consumption of alcohol.
The symptoms for this include- presenting in lower back pain, thigh pain and progressively starts affecting lower body movements. Hence symptoms like pelvic pain while walking or sitting, difficulty in standing for a prolonged period, should not be ignored and immediately examined.
Considering the time we are living in, symptoms like consistent pain in the back, balancing problems while standing should be reported to the doctor without fail. Daily exercises and a healthy diet can ensure prevention.
The lesser physical activity progressively leads to some muscle and bone health issues, so here are some tips ensuring their prevention:
- One hour alarm-
Don’t sit for too long. Set an alarm for every hour and get up with it to move your body, take a walk inside your room, or/and stretch for two to three minutes minimum. - Squats-
Depending upon individual strength and flexibility and after the concerned doctor’s advice, one can do squats to keep the lower portion of the body active. - Stretching and strengthening-
Several exercises consist of stretching the hip flexors, strengthening the gluteal, abdominal, and core muscles, and more. - Pelvic lifts-
While lying on your back, bend both knees to 90 degrees and then lift the pelvis and hold for 30 seconds. Then, if possible lift one leg and pelvis together while keeping the other knee bent at 90 degrees. This exercise is a real test for gluteal strength.
With this information, it is safe to conclude that the dead butt syndrome is actually a real issue and if not taken into consideration can lead to a lot of ill health. So it is better to always include a little bit of stretching and little exercise in the busy working hours for good health and good body posture.
