Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/398416
48 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4 FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY Palpating the Biceps Femoris Positioning: client prone with knee slightly flexed. 1. Standing at the client's side, facing the thigh, locate the lateral proximal border of the popliteal fossa. 2. Slide your palm proximally onto the large muscle bellies of the biceps femoris. 3. Palpate and follow the muscle fibers proximally to the ischial tuberosity. 4. Resist as the client gently flexes and externally rotates the knee to ensure proper location. Client Homework: Hip Hinging 1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. 2. Keeping your spine straight and knees slightly bent, shift your weight to your heels. 3. Push your hips back and bend forward at your hips to a 45-degree angle. 4. Lift your torso as you maintain a straight spine and press through your heels to engage the hamstrings and glutes. 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. Posturally, the long head of the biceps femoris, along with the other hamstring muscles and the gluteus maximus, maintains posterior pelvic tilt. These muscles must be in balanced tension with the hip flexors to maintain a neutral pelvis. Excessive tension in the hamstring group may contribute to excessive posterior pelvic tilt, while weakness may result in excessive anterior tilt. The short head of the biceps femoris joins the rest of the hamstring group in flexing the knee. This is a critical component of gait, particularly in shortening the lower limb during the swing-through phase. The biceps femoris is also responsible for external rotation of the knee. Rotation at the knee is possible only when the knee is slightly flexed. Full extension locks the tibiofemoral joint and prevents rotation. Rotation on a flexed knee is used to change the direction of movement in the lower body when the foot is in contact with the ground. This "plant and pivot" movement is critical in sports such as basketball, football, soccer, and tennis, and is a common mechanism of injury during sports and activities of daily living. 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 functionalbook@hotmail.com.