Quads really burning during Glute Bridges- how do I make it stop?

[mover123]

Hello, I was prescribed Glute bridges for weak glutes and lumbar lordosis. I also take ballet and have often been told by mt teachers that I use my quads way too much- and I have to admit, they are pretty big.

I told my physio about the quads burning during the glute bridges and she said they are probably just getting a really good stretch. The thing is, the more of these bridges I did, the worse it got. AND my Hip flexors got really really tight. Yes, I was contracting my glutes!

So the real problem of this is that my lateral thigh started going numb with pins and needles. I have had that problem for about 1 week a year for the last 8 years- I never worried about it. It wouldn't last. I personally always thought it was a pinched femoral nerve.

So really, I had no choice but to stop the glute bridges. Within days of stopping them my lateral thigh was back to normal. But wow- these bridges really tightened my hip flexors.

So my question is: what is wrong with me? Have you ever heard of this before???????? What did I do wrong????? and please don't tell me to go back to that physio- I really found I had to fight with her just to tell her anything-

thanx

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[Emanuele]

Hello Mover123,

where exactly have you experienced these pins and needles? Did the pins and needles go below the knew? Did the pins and needles stay just in the lateral aspect of the thigh or did it cross over toward the inner aspect? was it bilateral or monolateral? have you esperienced these funny sensation in other occasions a part from doing your glute bridge?

Regards

Emanuele

[mover123]

thanx Emanuele for responding.

Well for the last 8 years, it was only the left lateral thigh- sometimes going down as far as about 2 inches above the knee. Monolateral. But it would only last for about a week/year so I never really pursued it. I went to my GP about it 8 years ago and he thought disk degenration- I had xrays and it showed "normal" age related degeneration. BUT, at the time, and even now, I can voluntarily turn it on by doing a posterior pelvic tilt during a runners lunge hip flexor stretch- so to me that means it's at the hip, not at the disk. Doing the plow is fine. I also know it gets really bad after doing unweighted side-lying hip abduction exercises but NOT seated hip abduction (using the machines at the gym).

Then in July I did too much (dance) and hurt my foot- not really seriously but I decided to address a couple of other issues with my foot that had been nagging at me, And one issue was for the last 3 years my medial left ankle would feel "weird" when wearing shoes- the ankle and the fleshy part of the abductor hallux. So that is when the physio started asking me about nerve issues (I had originally gone to her over my foot). So she thinks it's L4/L5 right at the spine and was addressing lumbar stability with the bridges. But I never got a chance to tell her how runners lunges turn on the pins and needles.

Anyway, then I did all those bridges and my feet are worse now- I don't know if its related. The left foot is the worse but now I get a sandy feeling on the soles of both feet. But it depends on the shoes and where the arch is- sometimes it will be just my big toes, other times, the soles proximal (ie heel) from the arch and sometimes the whole foot. It Always starts after 2 hrs on my feet- but sometimes it starts immediately. For example, I have been wearing running shoes with orthotics just about 24/7, then one morning when I first got out of bed, I put on a pair of clogs with a big arch and my big toes immediately felt pins & needles- it was new and bizarre. All of this is new. I am hoping it is because I just really irritated the nerves doing those bridges and that it will calm down. I am getting my blood sugar levels and B12 checked for diabetes but my GP really doesn't think that's it- she thinks it's mechanical.

But anyway, it's a long story but I am also seeing a podiatrist and I undertsand what is wrong with my feet (short first ray)- and a HUGE part of the problem is a weak butt. I even know for a fact that my left butt cheek is weaker than my right. But i feel so frustrated because I don't want to do any more of those glute bridges, Or side lying hip abductions. The bird dog and quadreped hip extensions seem ok.

But I REALLY want to know how to do the glute bridges without using my quads!! (Please )

[Emanuele]

Dear Mover123,

As you can understand, it is not easy to really suss out what is going without a proper clinical assessment testing impaired sensation, muscle strength and altered reflexes. The problem on your feet may be either related to a disc problem affecting a spinal nerve or something mechanical or something else, but as I have already said, clinical/neurological test needs to be carried out.The funny sensation you feel on the lateral aspect of the thigh, considering what you have just told me, may be due by a peripheral irritation of the lateal cutaneous nerve of the thigh (a condition known as Meralgia paresthetica, please bear in mind I'm just guessing not giving you any certain diagnosis as clinical assessment is paramount) which can get irritated when it pierces the fascia of the thigh, mostly in pregnant women but indeed in people which mechanically stretch this conneticve tissue. Next time you get this funny sensation try to crouch and put you knee on your chest and see if that alleviates the sympthoms, as curling in that way slacken the fascia and consequently relieve the pressure on this nerve.

all the best

Emanuele