Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1037165
back, the adductors will flex the hip to swing the leg forward. The adductor magnus has a particularly good mechanical advantage for both hip flexion and extension. This is due to its origin on both the pubis and ischium and its long posterior insertion on the femur. Appropriate activation of the adductor magnus is essential to pelvic stabilization and maintaining alignment between the pelvis and lower extremity, both statically and dynamically. Poor activation, inadequate strength, or decreased endurance in the adductor magnus may lead to hypertonicity, shortening, and overuse of the other hip muscles, particularly the hamstring muscles, in an effort to compensate and stabilize the pelvis. Client Homework: Wide-Legged Forward Bend 1. Begin standing, facing forward, feet placed wide apart. 2. Inhale as you stand up tall, reaching the crown of your head up toward the ceiling. 3. Exhale and bend forward at your hips, keeping the front of your torso elongated. 4. Drop your head and gaze behind you as you rest your hands on the floor. 5. Activate your thigh muscles to lift your torso back up to a standing position. Editor's note: The Client Homework element in Functional Anatomy is intended as a take-home resource for clients experiencing issues with the profiled muscle. The stretches identified in Functional Anatomy should not be performed within massage sessions or progressed by massage therapists, in order to comply with state laws and maintain scope of practice. Palpating Adductor Magnus Positioning: client prone. 1. Standing at the client's side facing the thigh, locate the ischial tuberosity with your fingertips. 2. Slide your fingers medially and distally toward the medial femoral condyle. 3. Palpate between the gracilis and medial hamstrings following the descending fibers of the adductor magnus to the middle of the inner thigh. 4. Client gently resists adduction of the hip to ensure proper location. Christy Cael is a licensed massage therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist. Her private practice focuses on injury treatment, biomechanical analysis, craniosacral therapy, and massage for clients with neurological issues. She is the author of Functional Anatomy: Musculoskeletal Anatomy, Kinesiology, and Palpation for Manual Therapists (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009). Contact her at christy_cael@hotmail.com. Yo u r M & B i s w o r t h 2 C E s ! G o t o w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e t o l e a r n m o r e . 49