Articles

The psoas muscle(pronounced SO-as) may be the most important muscle in your body. Without this essential muscle group, you wouldn’t even be able to get out of bed in the morning! In fact, whether you run, bike, dance, practice Pilates, or just hang out on your couch, your psoas muscles are involved. That’s because your psoas muscles are the primary connectors between your torso and your legs. They affect your posture and help to stabilize your spine.

The psoas muscles are made of both slow and fast twitching muscles. Because they are major flexors, weak psoas muscles can cause many of the surrounding muscles to compensate and become overused. That is why a tight or overstretched psoas muscle could be the cause of many of your aches and pains, including low back and pelvic pain.

The types of movement that can strain your psoas muscles include standing and twisting from your waist without moving your feet (think old-fashioned calisthenics) or any movement that causes your leg to externally rotate while extended, such as ballet-style leg lifts (or battement), and even doing too many sit-ups (your psoas muscles complete the last half of a sit-up).

But because many experts don’t understand the complexity of the psoas muscles, it’s not uncommon for people to be given the wrong diagnoses and treatments for their psoas-related pain.

Structurally, your psoas muscles are the deepest muscles in your core. They attach from your 12th thoracic vertebrae to your 5th lumbar vertebrae, through your pelvis, and then finally attach to your femurs. In fact, they are the only muscles that connect your spine to your legs.

Your psoas muscles allow you to bend your hips and legs toward your chest, for example, when you are going up stairs. They also help to move your leg forward when you walk or run. These same muscles flex your trunk forward when you bend over to pick up something from the floor. They also stabilize your trunk and spine during movement and sitting.

The psoas muscles support your internal organs and work like hydraulic pumps, allowing blood and lymph to be pushed in and out of your cells. They are vital not only to your structural well-being but also to your psychological well-being because of their connection to your breath.

Here’s why:there are two tendons for the diaphragm (called the crura) that extend down and connect to the spine alongside where the psoas muscles attach. One of the ligaments (the medial arcuate) wraps around the top of each psoas. Also, the diaphragm and the psoas muscles are connected through fascia that also connects the other hip muscles. These connections between the psoas muscle and the diaphragm literally connect your ability to walk and breathe and also how you respond to fear and excitement. When you are startled or under stress, your psoas contracts. In other words, your psoas has a direct influence on your fight-or-flight response!

During prolonged periods of stress, your psoas is constantly contracted. The same contraction occurs when you sit for long periods of time, engage in excessive running or walking, sleep in the fetal position, or do a lot of sit-ups. All of these activities compress the front of your hip and shorten your psoas muscle. 

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should automatically stretch your psoas if you have pain in the front of your hip joint. In fact, depending on your situation, stretching your psoas may actually do more harm than good! The key is to know whether your psoas is short and tight and thus in need of stretching or if it’s weak and overstretched and in need of strengthening.

PSOAS TRAUMA RELEASE:

Many people suffer from a deep muscle located in the front of the hips. This multi-tasking, over achieving postural muscle can cause pain and dysfunction when not performing appropriately. Located in the nerves of this muscle is the Fight or Flight response of the sympathetic involuntary nervous system. Past traumas from accidents, pregnancies, surgeries or emotional trauma get stored in the muscle fibers.

Psoas Trauma Release is a series of exercises designed to temporarily fatigue this muscle group and reset the brain stem, so that stored trauma can be released. The result is freedom of movement in the back and hips.  Sessions can be repeated as suggested and can be taught for an at-home practice.

30 minute sessions $25

At Atlantic Pilates , we know how debilitating sciatica can be...but we have solutions. Schedule a private session with Barbara to start your journey to pain free living. Stop giving up activities that you enjoy.

This article from The Cleveland Clinic is informative

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12792-sciatica

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE VIDEO WORKOUT

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/qhdQ1snJUaN6X8_qzt_KYPeZx38HPCqe3XU4lELcYEBDyH8rEY9yvwiunnUaE4Rd.-lMk9iMzKHSXopOv?startTime=1690054665000

Passcode: a24W0^T$