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Petit et moyen fessiers : Comment se masser et détendre avec un rouleau de massage en running et musculation (foam roller) ?

16.11.2025
16 Nov

Petit et moyen fessiers : Comment se masser et détendre avec un rouleau de massage en running et musculation (foam roller) ?

 

How to relieve pain in the gluteus medius and minimus with a massage roller when doing weight training and running?

Here, we’re going to work deep to reach and release their fibers. These muscles are the lateral stabilizers of your hip; if they’re locked, your lower back or knee will compensate.

The best technique for relaxing your gluteus medius and minimus with a foam roller

The gluteus medius is located on the side, just below the crest of your pelvis (the hip bone).

    1. Positioning: Lie on your side, supported by your forearm. The roller should be positioned between the top of your pelvis and the bony prominence on the side of your thigh (the greater trochanter).

    2. The critical angle: Don’t stay perfectly on your side. Tilt your body about 30 degrees backward . You should feel the roller “dip” behind your hip bone. That’s where the fleshy part of the gluteus medius is located.

    3. The “Cross-friction” technique: Once you’ve found the tender point, don’t move back and forth. Instead, make small lateral oscillations (from left to right). The goal is to create a shearing action in the tissues to release adhesions between the different muscle layers.

Why is it useful to relax your buttocks with a massage roller?

The gluteus medius is often affected by what Dr. Vladimir Janda called “Inferior Cruciate Syndrome”. Basically, from prolonged sitting, this muscle becomes inhibited and “amnesic”, while accumulating tension points (trigger points).

  • Neurological Inhibition: According to studies by Behm & Wilke , the mechanical pressure of the roller on these short, dense muscles short-circuits the tension signal sent by the brain. By stimulating Ruffini receptors (sensitive to lateral pressure), the muscle is forced to release its defense.

  • Hip stability: Kelly Starrett ( Becoming a Supple Leopard ) explains that massaging this area “resets” the position of the femoral head in its socket (the acetabulum). If the gluteus minimus (deeper muscle) is tight, it pulls the hip forward, creating unpleasant pinching sensations during deep squats.

Warning: Mistakes to avoid when using a foam roller to relax your glutes

  • The greater trochanter (femur): If you feel a sharp, stabbing pain on the side of your thigh, you’re on the bone. Move the roller back towards your buttock. Rolling on the bone can cause trochanteric bursitis , which is the exact opposite of the desired effect.

  • The confusion with the TFL: Just in front of the gluteus medius is the Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL). If you roll too far forward, you’re working the TFL. It’s a small, very sensitive muscle that gets tired quickly. Work it separately, and sparingly.

  • The sciatic nerve: If you lean too far back, you’ll fall on your piriformis muscle. If you feel an electric shock going down your leg, you’re compressing your sciatic nerve. Move aside immediately.

Practical advice for effectively relaxing your glutes with a roller

If the roller is too wide to reach the gluteus minimus (which is located below the gluteus medius), switch to a massage ball (or lacrosse ball). The roller is a sweeping tool, the ball is a precision tool. For these deep muscles, the ball allows for better contouring around the iliac crest.