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Maximizing Glute Strength with Chiropractic Sessions

It’s Chicago Marathon Season and runners, whether you log a few miles a week or are training for a sub 4-hour marathon—your glutes are one of the most important muscle groups in your body. Yet, they’re often overlooked until pain or injury strikes. As chiropractors, we frequently see runners dealing with knee pain, hip tightness, or lower back discomfort. In many cases, the root cause isn’t the area that hurts—it’s weak or underactive gluteal muscles, especially the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius.

Meet Your Glutes: The Unsung Heroes of Running

The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body and a major powerhouse when it comes to propulsion and stability. It’s responsible for extending the hip, which is critical during the push-off phase of your stride. If you are not firing your glute max, your hamstring then has to work harder to kick the ground, making it tighter and more susceptible to injury. Gluteus medius, on the other hand, plays a quieter but equally vital role. It stabilizes your pelvis and keeps your hips level when you’re standing or on one leg—which, as a runner, you’re doing with every single step. Weak glute meds can lead to changing the angle between your thigh and shin (Q-angle), which can lead to IT band tightness, knee overloading, and can increase your risk of an ACL tear. Strong glutes help align the knees, hips, and ankles—keeping your mechanics clean and reducing wasted energy. With strong and stable glutes you can generate more force with each stride, improving both your speed and stamina.

Signs Your Glutes Might Be Weak

  • Frequent lower back pain or tightness after running
  • Knee pain that doesn’t stem from a knee injury
  • A feeling of imbalance or “collapse” on one side during your stride
  • Overuse injuries like IT band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, or Achilles tendinitis

What Can You Do?

The good news? Glute strength can be restored with targeted exercises and proper movement patterns. At Action Chiropractic, we can assess your asses and see how your body moves and identify muscle imbalances that may be holding you back or putting you at risk. We then use chiropractic, Active Release Technique, dry needling, cupping, IASTM, cold laser, and physical therapy to put your pain behind you. Some basic strengthening exercises include: All these and more are on our YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram And click here to test your gluteus maximus and gluteus medius!

Ready to Strengthen Your Stride?

Schedule an evaluation with us today and learn how optimizing glute strength can help you become a healthier, more resilient runner! Just click here to book online!
Dr. Norgaard’s first exposure to chiropractic was when he was a high school football player at Neuqua Valley in Naperville, Illinois. Nagging injuries led him to Action Chiropractic and Dr. Durnas. He was amazed with the results he got and knew that the treatments provided at Action Chiropractic were the best way to address his ailments.
After high school, Dr. Norgaard left Naperville and attended Central College in Pella, Iowa. While at Central, he majored in biology and played football, further piquing his interest in sports injuries and how to treat them. When he wasn’t in the classroom or on the football field, Dr. Norgaard spent his time volunteering at hospitals, and at various clinics. This is when he really developed a passion for helping people get better.
His experiences as an athlete, chiropractic patient, and volunteer shaped his decision to become a chiropractor.
After graduating from Central, Dr. Norgaard continued his education at Palmer College of Chiropractic.
While at Palmer, Dr. Norgaard took several extracurricular courses focusing on spinal diagnosis and therapy, soft tissue care, and diagnosis and treatment of the extremities. He completed a 4-month internship with Dr. Durnas at Action Chiropractic and Sports Injury Center and further developed his skills as a physician.
He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Palmer in October of 2021 and received the Academic Excellence Award.
After graduation, Dr. Norgaard joined the team at Action Chiropractic and Sports Injury Center. He currently resides in the Naperville area with his wife, Shannon, son, Parker, and dog, Alby.
“I chose to become a chiropractor because I was helped by chiropractic. I was in such discomfort it took me over 3 minutes to put on my socks. After seeing a chiropractor, and regaining the ability to tie my shoes, I realized that taking loads of NSAIDs did not address the fact that there was something causing the pain. The more I learned about it, I found that Chiropractic doesn’t just hide symptoms, like I was trying to do with pills, it fixes the origin of the problem.”
Dr. Durnas graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Biology and Bachelors of Arts degree in Chemistry. After graduation he worked in research and development for 3 years and dabbled in powerlifting and professional wrestling. That’s what lead him to chiropractic school. While at Palmer College of Chiropractic, he focused on learning how to best help the athlete. He took several extracurricular courses on how to address soft tissue injuries, how to adjust extremities, and how to better manage sports injuries. He graduated in June of 2012, where we were the Palmer Clinical Excellence Award winner and a keynote speaker at commencement.
In 2019, Dr. Durnas earned his Diplomate from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (DACBSP)®. He is only the 427th chiropractor in history to earn this designation, and only the 6th recipient in the history of Illinois. He completed over 300 hours of classroom and online courses focusing on in depth on the diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries, concussions, and emergency procedures, and had over 100 on the field hours with athletes that ranged from cross fitters, professional and high school football players, professional BMX and Motocross riders, triathletes, and runners. Dr. Durnas passed a 6-part practical exam and a 250 question Board exam and contributed a case study involving nerve damage in a professional athlete following a hit to the shoulder.