Gluteus Medius is an upper glute muscle that can cause a ton of low back, upper glute, and outer glute pain when tight [1]. Gluteus Medius release can be difficult with standard massage devices, but fortunately QL Claw is a lethal, targeted Gluteus Medius release tool. Scroll down to Gluteus Medius Pain Symptoms to determine if Gluteus Medius is causing you pain.
Gluteus Medius Release Tutorial
Gluteus Medius Release Placement:
Gluteus Medius Release Video Walkthrough:
Gluteus Medius Release Written Tutorial
Placement: Sit with the tailbone directly on the ramp (the big end) of the Claw, and let the leg fall to the side - the trigger should dig right into Gluteus Medius right around the waistline. You may need to reposition or squirm around a few seconds to find the tender spots in Gluteus Medius, it is wide and there may be multiple knots and trigger points to work out.
Motion: Motion is crucial for Gluteus Medius release. Move the leg on the massage-side up and down for a nice Gluteus Medius trigger point release. Another option for Gluteus Medius release is to generate motion from the opposite-side leg, shaking the body up and down on the trigger of the Claw.
Gluteus Medius Pressure Level 1: The Chicken Wing
Additional Pressure - The Figure Four: Cross the massage-side leg over the opposite knee in a figure-four position. Tilt the body into and away from the trigger (in a back and forth rocking motion) for deep, active Gluteus Medius release.
Gluteus Medius Pressure Level 2: The Figure Four
Additional Pressure - The Pretzel: From The Figure Four, elevate the upper body onto the elbows. This will shift weight that is currently on your upper back directly into the Gluteus Medius muscle for release.
Gluteus Medius Pressure Level 3: The Pretzel
How to know you've released a trigger point: When you release a knot/trigger point, you will feel the muscle give and will simultaneously feel the device sink in to your body. A massage generally feels less painful under higher pressure once a trigger point is released.
Gluteus Medius Pain Symptoms
Gluteus Medius Anatomy & Function:
Gluteus Medius is an upper-side glute muscle. It is the highest part of the buttock that has meat, and can be described as the pocket of the hip.
Gluteus Medius Muscle
Gluteus Medius functions in hip abduction, keeping the body upright on one leg, and stability when carrying objects. When standing on your right leg, your right Gluteus Medius contracts to prevent you from tipping over to the left.
Gluteus Medius Pain Symptoms:
Gluteus Medius pain is typically worsened by physical activity. Complaints of Gluteus Medius pain can include pain after standing for too long, hiking, or walking [1]. Pain can be brought on by a single high stress event such as lifting a couch [2]. After Gluteus Medius pain is present, it can be very uncomfortable to sit, stand, walk, lift, or do anything physical.
Gluteus Medius Release:
Scroll back to the top to see how awesome QL Claw is as a Gluteus Medius release tool!
Check out our tutorials for releasing other low back-pain-inducing muscles below!
Sources/Influences:
[1] Donnelly, Joseph M. Travell, Simons & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: the Trigger Point Manual. 3rd ed., Wolters Kluwer Health, 2019.
[2] Davies, Clair, and Amber Davies. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief. 3rd ed., New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2013.