Chris Toal - Walletectomy

Performing a “Walletectomy” TBT Tennis Ball Technique for the Gluts.

Sorry girls this one’s for the guys although if they are doing this fixing it might help to stop them being so grumpy all the time. If you suffer from Sciatic pain yourself the treatment is the same so get into it and get rid of that nagging pain in the butt. (I mean the Sciatic pain of course)

You might not enjoy the first few treatments, but you will enjoy the results and it can save you from years of pain and hip operations.

At the clinic when we hear about someone having really bad Sciatic pain, with men it’s usually the right hip. It’s not too hard to spot their as right foot will be pointing out to the side instead of straight ahead and you can see the tell-tale wear marks of a wallet being carried in the back pocket.

Really guys think about it, sitting on a big fat wallet is just plain dumb.

You wouldn’t sit on anything else that thick and be comfortable, just try moving to the other side for a day or so and you will soon see why you have Sciatic pain in your right hip.

With the damage you’ve caused you will be “laterally rotating” “turning out” your right foot and leg and that is asking the muscles above and below the knee to work at weird angles as well. It’s also forcing your belly to stick out with the hip tilted forward and pushing you into all sorts of bad shapes you can never get your belly back in place while this is going on.

The knee joint normally acts as a hinge and laterally rotating it is asking it to move like a universal joint. This means the muscles of the whole leg are going to get upset, go into spasm and cause you knee problems as well. Maybe it’s time for a “Walletectomy” before you need a hip replacement. So find somewhere else to put it and use this TBT treatment plant to get your Gluts back in shape.

Sore Gluts can be a pain in the butt, the knee, and the ankle.

The gluteal muscles or the gluts are responsible for so many tasks that if they get sore you can find it almost impossible to function. If you think about it logically your back stands on your hips and legs and the hips are kept in place by the Gluts so it really is worth looking after them.

The muscles that make up the Gluts include the well known Glut Maximus but also include Glut Minimus and Medius, plus the deep rotators Piriformis (a pear shaped muscle) and the Obdurators, there’s actually a long list. These muscles allow the leg to rotate at the hip and turn the feet inwards and outwards. If they get tight you can find you end up with your knees having to work like a universal joint instead of a hinge and this can cause severe knee and ankle pain as you load up the joints at all sorts of weird angles and when they are tight these muscle can crush the Sciatic nerve as well causing even more pain. If you release the hip muscles and use your legs the right way the knee and Sciatic pain will often fade to just a memory.

All it takes is sitting on a Wallet or a bit too much climbing or pushing lunging or even running and next thing you know you have knee or Sciatic pain driving you nuts. This exercise really is a pain to perform but a real pleasure once you have released the tension and can enjoy the results of being able to move again.














Pic 1/ Start by sitting on the floor with your legs out in front of you, place a tennis ball on the floor under your Gluts and your hands on the floor both sides for support. Now gently lower yourself onto the ball as shown.














Pic 2/  Supporting yourself using both your hands and your ankles start rotating your hips around in a spiral motion working outwards in larger and larger circles working right across the surface of muscles as shown.














Pic 3/ To target the deep lateral Rotators and help reduce Sciatic pain cross one leg over the other and place that foot squarely on the floor for support, now keep up the spiral orbital motion. If you locate an area of extreme pain at the centre of the hip (most probably a tight Piriformis muscle) stop, wait relax and let your weight sink down at that point for at least 30 seconds then continue the spiral movement.














Pic 4/ Finally lean back onto your elbows bend your knees and work your way right to the top of the Gluts.

Repeat both sides and always start with the least sore side first as this lowers the tension in the sore side first.

Read more from Chris Toal.
 

Published 17th Feb 2009

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