Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/530196
PALPATION Gluteus Medius and Minimus 1. The client is side-lying. Place your palpating finger pads just distal to the middle of the iliac crest, between the iliac crest and the greater trochanter of the femur. Place your resistance hand on the lateral surface of the distal thigh (if resistance is needed). 2. Palpating just distal to the middle of the iliac crest, ask the client to abduct the thigh at the hip joint. Feel for the contraction of the middle fibers of the gluteus medius (Image 5). If desired, resistance can be added to the client's thigh abduction with the resistance hand. 3. Strum perpendicular to the fibers, palpating the middle fibers of the gluteus medius distally toward the greater trochanter. 4. To palpate the anterior fibers, place your palpating hand immediately distal and posterior to the anterior superior iliac spine, and ask the client to gently flex and medially rotate the thigh at the hip joint. Feel for the contraction of the anterior fibers of the gluteus medius (Image 6). Discerning the anterior fibers from the more superficial tensor fasciae latae is difficult. 5. To palpate the posterior fibers, place your palpating hand over the posterior portion of the gluteus medius, and ask the client to gently extend and laterally rotate the thigh at the hip joint. Feel for the contraction of the posterior fibers of the gluteus medius (Image 7). Discerning the posterior fibers from the more superficial gluteus maximus is difficult. 6. Palpating and discerning the gluteus minimus deep to the gluteus medius is also difficult. The gluteus minimus is thickest anteriorly. To palpate the gluteus minimus, follow the same procedure as for the gluteus medius, but try to palpate deeper. THE MA XIMUS, MEDIUS, AND MINIMUS 5: Palpation of the middle fibers of the right gluteus medius immediately distal to the middle of the iliac crest as the client attempts to abduct the thigh at the hip joint against resistance. 6: Palpation of the anterior fibers of the gluteus medius as the client abducts and medially rotates the thigh. 7: Palpation of the posterior fibers of the gluteus medius as the client abducts and laterally rotates the thigh. Excerpted from Know the Body: Muscle, Bone, and Palpation Essentials (Elsevier, 2012; evolve.elsevier.com/Muscolino). Joseph E. Muscolino is a renowned massage and manual movement therapy educator and author of multiple textbooks, articles, and DVDs. He also offers a Certification in Clinical Orthopedic Manual Therapy (COMT) around the United States and overseas. Find out more about his work at www.learnmuscles.com. F r e e S O A P n o t e s w i t h M a s s a g e B o o k f o r A B M P m e m b e r s : a b m p . u s / M a s s a g e b o o k 65