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How to release the inner thigh muscles

8/20/2013

11 Comments

 
Picture
The inner thigh (adductor group) is made up of five muscles:
  1. Pectineus
  2. Adductor brevis
  3. Adductor longus
  4. Adductor magnus
  5. Gracilis

When the foot is not planted on the ground, the adductors will bring the leg toward the midline, and flex the hip when the thigh is in an extended position as in the swing phase of the gait (walking) cycle.
The adductors play a significant role during walking and are active in all phases of the gait cycle. The adductors are a part of two important functional kinetic chains:
  1. Lateral Sling: comprised of the adductors, same side gluteus medius/minimus, opposite side quadratus lumborum.  This chain is responsible for frontal plane stabilization of the lumbo/pelvic/hip complex during single leg stance (stance phase of gait), squatting and lunging.
  2. Anterior Oblique Sling: comprised of the adductors, same side internal oblique, opposite side external oblique and hip external rotators.  This chain is responsible for transverse plane stabilization during trunk rotation in gait, throwing, swinging, twisting activities.


Dysfunction within the slings can result in overuse of the adductor group leading to over facilitation,  increased tension and bound up connective tissue, and potentially pain.  Here is a videoblog demonstrating how to release the adductors using a foam roller.

Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignintegrationandmovement.com.
11 Comments
KL
8/27/2013 03:06:16 am

Reply
CathyN
8/27/2013 05:23:47 am

Thanks for sharing this. Well done, and I'm looking forward to trying this out.

Reply
Susan
8/27/2013 05:57:08 am

Thanks Cathy!

Reply
Carol link
8/27/2013 11:42:18 pm

I love the Melt rollers - one of my Pilates colleagues is certified and has run classes for us, it's great stuff. I find the Melt roller is nice and soft and more forgiving than the harder white rollers commonly used. There's also balls available for working with feet and hands.

Reply
Susan
8/28/2013 12:16:07 am

Carol,
Lucky you to have a colleague that is certified! I have the melt roller and balls as well and love the products! Thank you for your comment, Susan

Reply
Casey Holliman - Sports Massage Therapist link
9/9/2013 07:22:53 am

I go over foam rolling for the adductors a lot with my clients, as it is an area that is most often neglected. I really like the way it was demonstrated in the video, taking your time and really working through the tissues.

Reply
Casey
9/9/2013 11:26:29 am

Hi Casey,
Thanks for your response. Check out the book, Melt Method, by Sue Hitzman. It is excellent homeplay for client. Great tissue hydration techniques!
Susan

Reply
Casey Holliman - Sports Massage Therapist link
2/20/2014 01:14:56 pm

Awesome, thanks Susan, I'll definitely check it out!

Daniel
12/30/2013 08:18:00 am

Hi Susan. Love your work. Been following the works of Katy Bowman, Sue Hitzmann, Tom Myers, Diane Lee and many other great healers of our time. I've actually worked a few times with an R.E.S. out here near Oakland. Just curious if you recommend Rolfing as a strategy for alignment and ridding chronic pain and tension? I'm more interested in Kinesis Myofascial Integration by someone who has trained under Tom Myers, but still curious. Thank you! Happy Holidays.

Reply
Susan
12/30/2013 09:48:10 am

Hi Daniel,
Thanks for reading! I prefer the Thomas Meyer work as well. I think that Rolfing can be effective. However, what we know about neuroscience now, it is pretty "old school" to go into the "no pain, no gain" type of deep tissue work. Staying at a threshold of being able to relax into the pressure is the way to go! Thank you for your comment! Susan

Reply
April
8/19/2016 12:18:55 pm

I had a full hip replacement a month ago and wanted an opinion if these are still okay to do. My inner abductor is killing me and really holding me back.

Reply



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