Our Glute muscles play a key role in maintaining posture and stabilising the pelvis.
However, due to prolonged sitting or overuse during exercise, the Glutes are also heavily prone to tension that can cause postural imbalance, compression of the Sciatic Nerve, lower back and hip pain, issues in the Piriformis and IT Band, limited range of movement and severe discomfort throughout the body.
So why do a vast number of massage therapists in the UK, completely ignore or avoid this important muscle group?
Whenever I get a massage, I will ask for work on my lower back and Glutes. As a massage therapist myself, these are the areas that I suffer the most overuse and tension. I have never had an issue with this request when I have been abroad, however, more often than not, in the UK, I am either told straight away that the therapist does not do that, or the therapist says it is fine and then ignores the area anyway. I have even been told by some therapists, that they have not been trained to do that, or it is not part of their routine. Either way, it is very disappointing, and I am left feeling like I’ve had half a treatment.
I have heard many stories and even personally witnessed, massage tutors telling their students that they must not massage above the middle of the Hamstrings. The reasons for this vary but all focus on the inappropriateness of touching a client on an area of the body that may be considered ‘private.’
I have even heard of some female students being told that if they massage above a certain point on a male client’s leg, that they will be sexually assaulted by that client!
Unfortunately, there is a risk of inappropriate behaviour from some clients, and it is vitally important that we are preparing ourselves to deal with such issues safely and effectively, if they should ever arise, but it is absurd to assume that this will definitely happen because of our actions as therapists.
Setting clear boundaries with your clients is paramount to a safe and therapeutic environment for the safety and well-being of both parties. Your consultations should play a huge role in this, and you should be explaining your treatment in detail to your client and getting their informed consent before you begin. Explain why you might need to work on the client’s Glutes, how you propose to use your towels to effectively drape your client and maintain their dignity and make sure you are establishing their comfort levels with this before you begin your treatment.
And if the client makes any comments or displays any behaviour that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, cancel the treatment.
If, heaven forbid, someone is going to behave inappropriately during a massage, they will do this no matter what areas of their body you work on, you should never have to put up with such behaviour and you should feel comfortable enough to refuse treatment or to continue treatment should you be made to feel unsafe.
Tension in the Glutes is often the cause of referred pain in other areas of the body, such as the lower back, hips or down the legs. A lot of Sciatic-like symptoms arise from tension in this muscle group. Focused massage to this muscle group is crucial for pain relief in these areas and must be considered as part of your massage routine.