Name: Rectus Femoris Self-administered Active Release (Pin and Stretch)
Uploaded: 2023-04-26T01:01:04.000Z
Duration: 4 min 51 s

English captions

https://stream.mux.com/XtF6M00orDAp4kgDkcDP8vZVoQsXdVYCY1XOlBNVolLc.m3u8

Learn how to properly perform a rectus femoris self-administered active release (pin and stretch) in this comprehensive step-by-step instructional video from the Brookbush Institute. This evidence-based video provides expert coaching on setup, positioning, alignment, and technique (including progressions and regressions). Safely reduce rectus femoris hypertonicity, improve anterior thigh extensibility, and enhance hip and knee mobility while supporting optimal lower-extremity mechanics. Suitable for all fitness levels. Perfect for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and rehabilitation clients seeking to reduce pain, improve mobility, and restore optimal movement mechanics while reducing injury risk.

Introduction to Advanced Self-Administered Release Techniques

Understanding the Rectus Femoris and its Dysfunction

Trigger Point Rolling Technique Demonstration

Implementing Active Release Techniques for Muscle Adhesion

Protocol for Effective Release and Assessment

Rectus Femoris Self-administered Active Release (Pin and Stretch)

This is Brent of the Brookbush Institute, and in this video we're doing some advanced self-administered release techniques. We're going to do active release, or pin and stretch techniques. In this video we're going to do the rectus femoris, a muscle that has a propensity towards over activity in those individuals with an anterior pelvic tilt. Some of those individuals with an excessive forward lean, some individuals with knees bow out. As well as those with knee dysfunction. I'm going to have my friend Melissa come out, she's going to help me demonstrate this exercise. Now what she's going to do is she's going to start with the trigger point roll here. I do happen to like these trigger point rolls. You guys might have noticed those foam rolls as you get better, they get softer. The trigger point roll has a super hard core, which means as you soften up the foam it actually gets harder, which is is quite nice. So I'm going to have Melissa go ahead and get down on that, now she's going to search her entire rectus femoris from hip to knee, and look for the most tender point. This starts just like static release techniques right, the only difference is this time once she finds that point of tenderness, we're going to assume that that is a point of adhesion. That adhesion I want you to roll off of by going just distal to that adhesion, or just closer to your knee. So if this is the adhesion, and this was the foam roll, you're now coming here; and what Melissa's going to do is, she's going to start bending her leg, which tries to work on pulling that muscle tissue. Right, pulling that muscle tissue through the adhesive tissue that's been bound up at that point. So now we actually have a little bit of fascial glide happening. You do need to use something that is long and flat alright, because we got to create a block to that adhesion. I'm basically trying to get the muscle, right as the muscle lengthens around her knee this way, it pulls the adhesion up to the foam roll, and then the muscle fiber keeps going, pulling the adhesion away from that fiber. Now if I wanted to be really mean to Melissa, what I'm going to do is I'm going to decrease the surface area. But I don't want to do that by decreasing the surface area widthwise, we still need something that's going to block that adhesive point. So we need to decrease the surface area this way. You guys have seen some other videos where I use a softball, this would not be a case where the softball would work, because if we go to a round object that adhesion is going to hit the round object, and then just go around it. So we're going to go to something like a quad baller from trigger point here, which as you guys can see much much smaller diameter. Alright so this is going to be a lot more pressure per square inch, which might help us get to some deeper adhesions as well as probably being a little bit more painful for Melissa. I think she found a spot, we're gonna assume that's the same spot that she found before. She's going to go just distal to it, so that when she pulls the muscle around her knee she's pulling the adhesion up to the quad baller, and then the muscle fiber hopefully keeps pulling through, and we pull that scar tissue away and increase extensibility. Of course after doing this technique I would want to reassess, and hopefully we see a reduction in her anterior pelvic tilt, or excessive forward lean, or knees bow out, or some of that knee dysfunction that she came in with. How's that feeling? Yeah so guys the protocol for this is 12 to 15 repetitions, you're doing 2 to 5 second holds at the top. It's actually a very similar protocol to active stretching. I'm assuming that if you're watching this video you've already seen the static release video for the anterior thigh or rectus femoris. I would always start with static release techniques, start toning down those trigger points, and then I'd switch to something more intense, like these active release/pin and stretch techniques. I hope you guys enjoyed this video. I look forward to hearing what outcomes you guys got. 

Home

Videos

Knowing hip flexor release and lengthening techniques can reduce hip pain, lower back pain, etc., and improve fitness performance.

Hip Flexor: Release and Lengthening 

Rectus Femoris Self-administered Dynamic Release (Pin and Stretch):

Explain to your patient/client where to find their rectus femoris, and, if necessary, palpate the area you intend to target with the release tool (the long, relatively slender muscle in the middle of the anterior thigh that contracts with hip flexion).

Before asking your patient/client to lie on a ball, roll, or similar release tool, demonstrate the technique.

Instruct your patient/client to assume a prone position with the release tool under their anterior thigh.

Have your patient/client search for the most tender spot by rolling distal to proximal or proximal to distal.

Once, the most tender point is located have your patient move the foam roll just distal to that point, so it abuts the tender point on the distal side.

Instruct your patient/client to flex the knee, holding for 1 – 2 seconds at end range. Perform 10 – 15 repetitions.

Move on to another tender point or the next muscle to be released.

A Softball Will Not Work - For this technique to be effective, you need a surface that is broad. Trying to block an adhesion with a softball only results in the adhesion moving around the softball. Using a quadballer from TriggerPoint is a much better way of progressing, and increasing pressure.

Rectus Femoris Self-administered Active Release (Pin and Stretch)

Adductor Magnus Self-administered Dynamic Release

Gastrocnemius and Soleus Self-administered Dynamic Release a.k.a. Pin & Stretch

Vastus Lateralis Self-administered Dynamic Release a.k.a. Pin & Stretch

Biceps Femoris SA Active Release

Iliotibial Band (ITB) SA Myofascial Creep

Gastrocnemius and Soleus Dynamic Release

Comments

Guest