fbpx

Massage Aha!

Professional therapeutic massage therapy in Kansas City, MO by Aaron Harris, BCTMB

Transgender Ally Flag

The Gluteus Medius Muscle

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

The Gluteus Medius is a triangular muscle located at the side of the hip. Part of the muscle lies under the Gluteus Maximus.

The Gluteus Medius muscle
The Gluteus Medius muscle is located on the side of the hip.

This muscle attaches the ilium (hip bone) to the upper head of the femur (thigh bone).

It is responsible for abducting (moving away from the body) the hip. The anterior (front) portion of Gluteus Medius rotates the leg inward.

Trigger Points

There are two common trigger point locations in this muscle and one that occurs less frequently.

The first forms near the sacrum and refers pain into the sacrum.

Trigger point in the Gluteus Medius muscle.
This trigger point (marked by an X) refers pain (indicated in blue) into the sacrum and low back.

The second forms in the middle of the muscle and refers pain down in to the side of the hip with some spillover into the thigh.

Trigger point in Gluteus Medius
This trigger point (marked by X) refers pain (indicated in blue) into the hip and thigh.

The least common point forms in the anterior portion and refers pain into the ilium and back into the sacrum.

Trigger point in Gluteus Medius
This trigger point (marked by X) refers pain (indicated in blue) along the ilium and into the sacrum.

Massage of the Gluteus Medius Muscle

Deep tissue work is often indicated for trigger points in this muscle.

Clients who have a pronated (internally rotated) leg while walking often develop pain in this particular muscle. A chiropractor can help assess any structural issues in the hip that affect this muscle.

Runners, swimmers, and clients with intense leg workouts can often have tightness and pain in the hip and low back. Gluteus Medius is often the source. Gluteus Medius should be assessed with every complaint of hip and low back pain.

Locating the source of low back pain can be tricky. There are many muscles that stabilize the hips that can be responsible. Gluteus Medius is one of the first muscles that I assess during one of my mobile massage therapy sessions.

More to explore...

Massage for Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a common mental health issue that can cause physical and emotional symptoms, such as restlessness, nervousness, tension, and increased heart rate. Massage therapy can help to reduce anxiety symptoms by promoting relaxation, reducing muscle tension, and improving overall physical and mental well-being.

Read More »

Office Relocation

Greetings! I know there have been some questions about my lack of availability for in-home sessions over the past couple of weeks… Wonder no more!

Read More »

One Response

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.