Sartorius muscle stretching exercise

What is the sartorius muscle stretching exercise?

• Sartorius stretching exercise is a great way to increase the flexibility of the thigh area that assists to decrease the risk of injury & many health benefits.
• The patient has a sartorius muscle on the sides of the body, each starting on an anterior superior iliac spine of a pelvis. From its start, a sartorius then crosses the front of the thigh, angling inward, and ultimately ending on a medial side of a tibia.
• Due to the sartorius running through the two joints, the hip as well as the knee, the muscle plays a role in movement at both joints. The actions of the sartorius involve:
• Hip flexion: Flexing at a hip, as when the person march in place with high knees
• Hip abduction: Dragging the leg away from the midline, as when the patient draws a step to the side
• External hip rotation: Rotating the leg outside so the thigh, knee, as well as toes, turn toward the side of the room
• Knee flexion: Flexing the knee to move the heel toward the glutes.
• A tree poses in yoga is an example of an exercise that needs all of the sartorius’s actions. When the patient does a tree pose, he has to flex the hip as well as the knee to move the foot upward.
• The patient then has to abduct as well as rotate the hip to the outward of the room to put the bottom of the raised foot on the inside of the stationary leg. Cross-legged sitting is also one example of the Sartorius function.

What are the Health Benefits of sartorius muscle stretching exercise?

There are certain benefits the patient can gain. those are:

• This increases the range of movement in the hip as well as knee joints such as hip flexion, abduction, external rotation & knee flexion as well.
• This helps the patient while walking.
• This is also useful for cross-leg sitting positions.
• The patient can perform daily tasks better if he does not have sartorius tightness.
• This releases tightness of surrounding muscles due to its origin & insertion is covered in two joints.
• This increases blood circulation in the area.
• This increases the flexibility as well as mobility of muscles.
• Decrease the risk of sartorius muscle pain.

What are the types of sartorius stretching?

There are certain types of stretching the patient can perform:

• Kneeling Stretch.
• Standing Stretch.
• Butterfly stretch.
• Fire Log Pose.

Kneeling Stretch

• How to do the stretching: Kneel with the left knee on the ground, the right knee bent at a 90-degree angle in front of you, with that foot flat on the floor. Support yourself against the wall, if the patient needs, to maintain balance.
• Maintain the spine upright as well as imagine the pelvis as a bucket full of water. Maintaining the pelvis in the normal position-that is, neither tilting forward nor backward-will maintain the imaginary water from spilling out.
• Lean forward with the spine still completely straight. Think of pushing the pelvis forward while still maintaining its level.
• Clenching the buttock muscles while the patient performs this may assist you to get a feel for the right motion.
• Pause the stretch for between 10 to 30 seconds, breathing normally as you perform so, then gently release & repeat on the other side. Repeat the kneeling stretch 2-5 times on each leg in one session. Do three sessions per day.

Standing Stretch

• How to do this stretching: Stand on the left leg. Support yourself against the sturdy piece of equipment if necessary to maintain the balance.
• Bring the right heel close to the buttocks.
• Grasp the right foot in both hands-if possible-or in the right hand to assist keep it close to the body.
• Imagine pushing the hips forward without arching the back. The patient can feel the stretch in the front of the hip & possibly down the inner side of the thigh as well.
• Breathe normally. Pause the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, then gently release & repeat on the other side.

Butterfly stretch

• How to do the stretching exercise: Sit down on the mat with your legs in front of you.
• Reach forward & grab the left foot. This is ok to flex the knee to help the hand as well as the foot join.
• Gently pull the left foot up towards the groin bending until this is at a cozy spot & the sole is facing the right thigh.
• Flex the right knee to bring the right foot toward the groin so that this sole touches the sole of the left foot.
• Grab the feet with the hands as well as place the elbows on the knees.
• While keeping the back upright, allow the knees to fall towards the floor. The patient can give mild pressure on the inner thigh by pressing gently on the knees with the elbows.
• When the patient feels stretched pause it for 60 seconds.
• Repeat 3- 4 times in one session. Do three sessions per day.

Fire Log Pose

• How to perform the exercise: Take a sitting position on one edge of the thickly-folded blanket, knees bent, feet on the floor. Gently shrug the shoulders up, and keep the spine upright.
• Slide the right foot under the left leg to the outside of the left hip, & lay the outer leg on the floor. After that, stack the left leg on top of the right. Be sure the left ankle is outward from the right knee. So the sole is perpendicular to the floor.
• If the patient has more flexibility in the hips, he can slide the right shin forward directly below the left to increase the challenge; otherwise, keep the right heel beside the left hip. If the hips muscles are tight, you may feel that bringing the ankle to the outer knee is uncomfortable. In this matter, take sit with the shins crossed in Sukhasana.
• Press through the heels as well as spread the toes. Keep the front upper body long, exhale as well as bend forward from the groins. Assure not to round forward from the belly. Lay the hands on the floor in front of the shins.

There are some mistakes the patient does need to know about are:

• Bouncing: Bouncing in the stretch may pull on tendons and muscle ending points instead of lengthening a muscle. Bouncing beats the purpose of a stretch, which is to elongate as well as relax the muscles. Use slow, smooth movements when doing the stretch.
• Pressing Down Forcefully: Do not press down with too much force while butterfly stretching. Just like bouncing, it can put extra pressure on the tendons, insertion points, and ligaments, making you more prone to injury or even overstretching.
• Holding the Breath: Never hold your breath while stretching. As yoga teaches, the breath can help you to stretch deeper. Inhale as you release as well as exhale as you initially perform the work.

What are the safety as well as precautions the patient needs to follow?

Some safety matters the patient needs to know:

• He will feel the stretch in the sartorius muscle, but the patient should not feel any pain. If he does feel pain, let go of a stretch.
• If the patient has had a knee, talk to the physical therapist about whether you should perform this stretch.
• Never perform stretching into prior injury areas. Namely fracture, and strain.

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