Have you ever heard of Dead butt syndrome? It was reported in this blog in 2010 that this is commonly seen in runners and other athletes. The experts, according to a recent NY Times article are now referring to Dead Butt Syndrom as Gluteal Amnesia. Read the NY Times article “Sitting All Day Can Cause Dead Butt Syndrome” Sitting for extended periods may eventually cause the glutes to become weak over time. Poorly activated glutes will affect how the lower back and legs work as per the NY Times.. While it is understood that sitting for hours without movement is not good for us physically, movement pumps blood back to the heart and we need to walk or stand to help our circulation. A sit-stand desk is a healthy alternative as we can continue to work in numerous positions while using one. Unlike Dead Butt Syndrom which is theoretical, how we circulate the blood back to the heart is not. Why sit in coach if you do not have to? Sitting for hours is similar in effect to sitting in a coach in an airplane. Dysfunctional glutes from sitting is theoretical. So is describing it as if sitting has the same effect on everyone. Patients constantly hear me ranting about one-size-fits-all thinking, as the idea that we are all the same mechanically when we are all different is absurd. Some of us are taller, shorter, looser, tighter, female, children, male; you get the idea. Improving how we sit with ergonomics helps except that gluteal dysfunction can be different for all of us. When a patient visits us for their second visit, I discuss the idea of firing patterns in the legs and how it affects them. Typically firing patterns are determined by the muscles and the fascia. When the fascia in the legs is tight, it makes the legs work inefficiently causing recruitment into the abdominals and compensations into the lower and upper body. Often, I see a distorted pelvis. This type of presentation is common with lower back pain and upper body problems as we move as a unit. When the fascia tightens and the pelvis distorts, it affects how the ankles work, and how the feet feel and function. Constant impact results in impaired movement in the ankles and feet which inhibit the glutes. Can sitting aggravate this? Perhaps, dead butt syndrome is a misunderstanding of why some suffer from the problems associated with hours of sitting, while others do not. Image by Pexels from Pixabay How chiropractors can help Preventing dead butt syndrome, chronic lower back and upper back pain, and conditions such as plantar fasciitis require we look at the body holistically. The idea that positions and parts are dysfunctional just because parts go bad is a medical construct that supports overspecialization. The idea forgets we are mechanical beings who are all different and sometimes require a body mechanic to help us help ourselves. Solving Dead Butt Syndrome and the mechanisms behind it, require holistic approaches to care. I take a full history and approach the problem using a primary care approach. I must evaluate you from the ground up to understand why you have the problem. We are all different. Understanding what is unique about you is how we solve problems such as back, neck or shoulder pain. Understanding how the problem developed rather than just looking at the buttock and what a tight and dysfunctional gluteal area does to us can help you resolve multiple problems including some you have taken for granted. Chiropractors use the following tools that are evidence based. Manipulation of the spine and extremities Exercises Muscle work such as myofascial release and instrument assisted soft tissue regimens. The methods are safe, drug free, non invasive and most importantly, effective. Do you want to know more? Book online today.