In my 10 years of practice, there is one muscle that I find almost always associated with lower back pain: the Psoas muscle, so today I’d like to talk about this essential core muscle and how we can stretch it out to prevent lower back pain. The Psoas Muscle is one of the largest core muscles in the body connecting the spine to your legs. It functions as a hip flexor and is very important in movements such as walking and running. This muscle is located deep within the body so it’s very difficult for you to feel with your hands and to sense it internally.

When you sit for prolonged periods of time the psoas muscle becomes extremely tight and this puts a lot of pressure on your lumbar discs which in turn causes lower back pain. However, lower back pain is only one of the signs of a tight psoas other symptoms that may seem unrelated include:
Bladder pain
Hip pain
Leg pain
Digestive issues such as constipation
Menstrual cramps
Pelvic pain
Snapping or clicking sound in the hip
Can a tight psoas muscle be released?
Absolutely! Because the muscle is so deep in the body, the best way to release it is by stretching it out regularly, especially when experiencing any of the above symptoms.
Here is an easy way to stretch your psoas muscle out at home.

Do this stretch on a carpet or yoga mat, following these instructions:
Place your right leg in front of you at about a 90-degree angle.
Drop your left leg so it extends backward
Keep your shoulders and hips square to the ground
Bring your hips slowly forward
You will feel the psoas muscle on the left is stretched
Hold for 30 seconds
Repeat on the opposite side
Remember a stretch should always be done slowly and controlled, if any stretch causes pain it should be stopped immediately.
I hope you found this article helpful, if you have any questions about this stretch or if you have a specific topic you would like me to discuss please feel free to let me know by commenting below.
I hope you always have a pain-free day!
Dr. Tina
Comments