Take Care of my Psoas Muscle!

What is a Psoas Muscle?

Now that summer is coming to a close and you have been outside you may be noticing your psoas (so-as) muscle more due to running, raking and gardening. “My what muscle??” you ask. Let me take this opportunity to introduce you to this great friend of mine.

Well it’s nice to meet you. You may not have noticed me all these years, but I have been with you since the beginning. I have been helping you to stand up straight, lift up your leg, and allow you to do sit ups. I get your attention by giving you low back pain, hip pain, knee pain, breathing and digestive issues.

Taking great care of me makes you feel great! Some ways I enjoy being taken care of are with a massage or bowen session.

Here’s a test to see how tight I am:

Lie on your back with both legs straight. Pull one knee towards your chest. If the other leg lifts off the floor, then your psoas is too tight. Now try the other side. Muscular imbalances are common, especially among runners, whose side-to-side discrepancies are reinforced through repetitive movement.

Here are some great stretches to keep me loose:

1) THOMAS STRETCH
Sit tall at the end of a table, with your thighs halfway off . Pull one knee to your chest and lean back. Your lower back and sacrum should be flat on the table. If there’s any rounding in your back, or tipping of your pelvis, then you’re pulling the knee too far, so loosen your hold. The other leg should hang free off the table. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds for each side, and complete at least two or three repetitions.

NOTE: Physical therapists often use this stretch as a flexibility test for the hip flexor. To pass, the posterior thigh should touch the table, and the knee should passively flex at an angle of at least 80 degrees.

2) KNEELING LUNGE
Kneel on one knee, with the front leg forward at a 90-degree angle. With your pelvis tucked, lunge forward, easing into the stretch without straining. If your psoas is tight, your natural tendency may be to arch your lower back; make it a point to keep the back straight. Raise your arms overhead for an added abdomen stretch. To dynamically stretch the psoas, complete 20 reps on each side, holding the lunge for 2 to 3 seconds. 3) WARRIOR POSE
Step one foot 3 to 4 feet in front of you. Lunge forward until your front knee is at a right angle. (Read ajust your foot position if necessary.) Turn your back foot out about 45 degrees. Keeping your back foot firmly planted, and your head, shoulders, hips and knees facing forward, raise your arms overhead. Relax your shoulders; don’t let them inch up. Lift your rib cage away from your pelvis to really stretch the psoas.
As in all yoga poses, breathe deeply and easily. Don’t strain. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Take care of me so I can keep your low back happy,

Mr Psoas,

 

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