Prone Hip Extension Off the Table

  • The patient is lying on their stomach on a table top, positioned with their knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  • Instruct the patient to find a neutral lumbar spine by rocking the pelvis towards 12:00 then 6:00, finding the midpoint in between. The therapist monitors the PSISs to insure that they are level in the frontal plane.
  • The patient is instructed to hold this position by drawing the belly button in towards the spine.
  • Ask the patient to extend one leg at a time, maintaining flexion of the knee and keeping a neutral lumbar spine. Make sure that the patient does not abduct or externally rotate the leg during hip extension and that the PSISs remain level.
  • The patient should feel their buttocks tighten during the movement. The therapist should also be able to palpate tone in the gluteus maximus during this exercise.
  • Make sure that the movement occurs in the hip joint, avoiding extension of the spine.
  • It may be helpful to instruct the patient to try and elongate the leg by reaching away with their knee as the hip is extended.
  • Have the patient hold for 10 seconds and initially repeat only 3-5 times. Alternate legs.
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