Courtesy of Professionalmucsle.com
I am Mike’s neglected gluteus medius. I hang out posterolaterally between the ilium and greater trochanter. I am the root of many evils. ITB syndrome, yup, patella femoral syndrome, yup, TFL tendonitis, yup, falls in the elderly, yup; I have a part in all of these.
I can cause so many problems, because I am supposed to be doing so many things, the most basic of which is abduction of the femur. When Mike stands on one leg, I also prevent him from falling over which is essentially abduction again, but the reverse muscle action. Also, depending on the position of Mike’s hip I am either an external rotator (when in flexion) and an internal rotator (when in extension).
My involvement in ITBS , PFPS, and falls in the elderly is known, but still I am neglected. A couple times a week Mike will head out and run a few miles, maybe ride his bike to the gym, but when does he ever do lateral movements? When is it going to be my time to shine. He has to know that his anterior knee pain is directly related to me being weak. Would it kill Mike to do some slide boarding, single leg squats, or side planks? Probably. For some reason Mike is not the only one with this problem. Many of my brethren in the elderly and in teenage girls also suffer from neglect.
I am Mike’s gluteus medius and I am here to spread the word. I will not be neglected any more.
Mike Scott, DPT 
So, gluteus medius, do you also cause Mike pain when he just lays on his back and tries to place both legs right straight? How about when he lays on his back and places both legs at right angles under pillows? Can you relax? Excrutiating…all of a sudden…didn’t used to be…
Naomi,
The glute med can definitely cause pain with hip flexion to 90 degrees because of the orientation of the posterior fibers. They are less likely to cause pain when laying on your back and having both legs straight, but that truly depends on the orientation of your feet (internally rotated, neutral, or externally rotated. Internally rotated and neutral will put the glute medius on slight stretch which can bother it like any other irritated muscle). I am interested in what (if anything) caused this sudden onset of pain (you can e-mail me at mikescott.dpt@gmail.com if you’d rather tell me there). There are many other structures in the area that may be referring pain in the area (piriformis, bursae, glute max/min. Likely causes of pain/overuse are unfamiliar repetitve lateral movements, such as bounding or jumping, as well as extended periods of running or single leg stance, and beginning a new exercise/routine at the gym. How long has this pain been present, has it always been both sides, is one side worse than the other, if you change the position of your back do they still hurt (the same), are they tender to touch? All these questions are to make sure that it is definitely your “pesky” glute meds that are bothering you.
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