Psoas Muscle Lengthening
Iliopsoas
The
hip joint has two main parts. The ball and the socket. The ball rotates within
the pelvic hip socket. The ball of the hip is also called
the "head" or cap of the femur (femur = thigh bone).
The head of the femur is supported by the angled "neck" which joins to the long
vertical body of the femur (thigh bone). At the base of the femoral neck is a
boney protrusion. There are two very large muscles which converge into a single
attachment to this protrusion.
The
iliacus
muscle (which covers the pelvic bone on the inside surface of the pelvis) and
the
psoas
muscle (which embraces the side of the lumbar spine), both attach as if they
were one muscle with a common tendon onto that protruberance at the base of the
femoral neck. These muscles do two things: 1) if the leg is allowed to move, the
hip is flexed and the leg is raised or swung forward. 2) or if the legs are
stabilized, the body sits up from lying down or stays upright. These muscles are
needed for both walking and sitting.
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The psoas tendon
(1) is underneath the psoas muscle (2). A path to the psoas tendon (3)
dives beneath the muscle up into the pelvis.
If
both muscles are detached from the femur, then significant power for walking,
stairs, and also for sitting erect is compromised. However, contracture from
this muscle group is the most dogged cause of hip subluxation (partly off-center
femoral head). Therefore, ways to elongate the muscle without "letting it fly"
are practiced. That means getting at the muscle higher up than the easy spot in
the upper leg.
Iliopsoas (or often called just 'psoas') lengthening is performed for a variety
of reasons. The most common, in handicapped persons, is to deal with a
dislocating hip. In that setting the hip dislocates because the hip socket is
too shallow and too vertical (reshaped so the socket faces more out, less down)
and under severe muscle forces, the strongest being the iliopsoas pair. Abnormal
shearing forces of the iliopsoas and adductors (and others) can cause abnormal
growth and shape of the both the hip socket and the upper femur.
The psoas and the iliacus both skirt the abdominal cavity. To
get at these muscles, surgery to reduce ongoing hip destruction associated with
overactive iliopsoas tension is commonly directed around the periphery of the
lower abdomen on the inside bowl of the pelvis.
This intra-abdominal nature, particularly in the neurologically handicapped,
can elicit an intestinal shutdown called "ileus". Ileus lasts from minutes to
several days. It is impossible to predict. It requires feeding by intravenous
route while the intestinal protective reflex subsides. The deep nature of the
surgery, near the bladder and in the pelvic floor, requires post-op pain
management and, in spastic individuals, antispasm medication. Early mobilization
is attempted to avoid adhesions, prior to hospital discharge.
In most cases additional muscle surgeries, such as lengthenings of adductors etc. are done to deal with other paralytic imbalances. These additional lengthenings only complicate the care if they introduce the opposite limb in cases where iliopsoas lengthening is one sided.
Because the psoas muscle is totally covered by intestines and other organs, it is not accessible to injection from the front. It can be injected from the back, however with x-ray and electrical probe guidance. The psoas is a paraspinal muscle (muscle alongside the spine), and therefore can contribute to spastic scoliosis in the lumbar area.
Illustration Key: Psoas muscle from the spine, joins with Iliacus muscle from the iliac (pelvis wall) to form the common Iliopsoas muscle. It has a very thick tendon on its deep surface (slightly inside the muscle). 1) psoas tendon deep to muscle (turned over here); 2) psoas as it crosses pubis 3) surgical path over rectus femoris and deep to Iliopsoas into the pelvis seeking the deep tendon.
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According to Trail Guide to the Body: "The iliacus and psoas major, together called the iliopsoas, are major hip flexors. The long, slender psoas major is located deep to the abdominal contents and stretches from the lumbar vertebrae to the lesser trochanter. The stocky iliacus is located deep to the abdomen in the iliac fossa."
Once that torquing begins, there will be names given to the symptoms this tightness creates. A therapist can now access the psoas much easier by pulsing it from the insertion point or top of the thigh as opposed to trying to palpate internally. The iliacus and psoas attach in the same area so stretching one point stretches both muscles. Gravity will eventually do most of the work by simply allowing the body to relax. Although it is important to relax the tight side of the body it is of equal importance that the weak side of the body is given even more attention. For instance if one leg drags forward slower that the other side and since the psoas is responsible for picking up the leg, that would be the weaker side and the best way to strengthen it is our series of isometrics for 2 or 3 weeks. Relax the shorter strong side, strengthen the longer weak side. The short psoas pulls the hip higher giving the ilusion of a short leg when it may be a higher hip. A snowball effect has really been created when one muscle effects the balance of another. |
GET READY TO RELAX WITH THE AMAZING SACRO WEDGY® If you have any questions or would like to talk with one of us personally, please call: 1-800-737-9295 ext.12 |
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| PEOPLE WHO SHOULD NOT ORDER 1. If you are really looking for a "quick" fix - this isn't for you. Even though we do sometimes have people that get immediate relief - that is the exception - not the rule. It sometimes depends on how long you've been out of whack and on how easily you learn to relax and understand that sometimes it hurts. Most say, "it hurts so good". Wearing braces on your teeth is not fun in the beginning but it's the long-term results you're looking for. 2. If you are under doctors care and involved in treatment, please take this information to them first if their opinion will determine whether or not you use the Sacro Wedgy®. We've had quite a few professionals include it in their recommendations for rehab and home therapy. Some even like it for themselves as most have some back problems because of standing all day. If they don't want you to use it, don't order. 3. Understand results vary from person to person depending on the origin of the problem and how long you've had the problem. If a muscle has been tight and grinding a joint for an extended period of time, the body actually wears out unevenly and may not ever return to the balance of years ago. The Sacro Wedgy® may serve as daily relaxation therapy to keep from getting worse. |
| There is a male and female version of the Sacro Wedgy® because of the difference in the shape of the sacrum. The average female sacrum is slightly wider and shorter, because of the birth canal, than the more narrow, longer male sacrum. This explains why occasionally why some taller women and some women that just have a longer, narrower torso do better on the male version. Each order comes with the elevation pad and instruction book. (directiones disponible en espanol) |
The Neck Support$12.95 The Neck Support Since neck support is so important, we found it necessary to design a cervical roll that complimented the Sacro Wedgy®. We made it convenient for travel, 10" long, high enough to support the average neck curve, 4" in diameter using a very dense foam and with a blue, poly/cotton zipper cover to complete the system of stabilizing and slightly elevating both ends of the spine. The only thing left to do is the most nothing" you can do -RELAX and really let gravity to the work. The neck support retails for $12.95 with volume pricing available. |
Female Sacro Wedgy® $29.95 Female version of the Sacro Wedgy® (Instructional booklet and elevation pad included.) In use almost 15 years, The Sacro Wedgy® has helped thousands get relief from a variety of symptoms such as sciatica, low back pain, hip pain, knee pain and more. Relaxing on a regular basis helps the muscles slowly rebalance using gravity to do most of the work. It is not a quick fix--nothing is; however, addressing and helping to correct bad posture and "out of balance" muscle structure helps treat the origin of the problem rather than treat the symptom. The Sacro Wedgy® is available in a male or female version and retails for $29.95 with volume pricing available for but not limited to professionals. (directiones disponible en espanol) |
Male Sacro Wedgy® $29.95 Male version of the Sacro Wedgy® (Instructional booklet and elevation pad included.(directiones disponible en espanol) In use almost 15 years, The Sacro Wedgy® has helped thousands get relief from a variety of symptoms such as sciatica, low back pain, hip pain, knee pain and more. Relaxing on a regular basis helps the muscles slowly rebalance using gravity to do most of the work. It is not a quick fix--nothing is; however, addressing and helping to correct bad posture and "out of balance" muscle structure helps treat the origin of the problem rather than treat the symptom. The Sacro Wedgy® is available in a male or female version and retails for $29.95 with volume pricing available for but not limited to professionals.(Instrucciones en' espanol) |
CT Scan -- Cross Section Of The Abdomen -- With Arrows Pointing To The Psoas Muscle
| Source |
| The Psoas Muscle |
| Words: psoas
(SO-as), vertebrae (VER-tea-bray), femur (FEE-mer) |
Your psoas muscle is the main
muscle that raises your leg toward your body.
It's attached to the vertebrae of your spine at the top and in the back, and it's attached to the top of your thigh in the front. It runs right through your abdomen!  |
| Information supplied by http://danke.com |
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Tao Yin Chi Breathing |
OPENING THE PSOAS MUSCLE
The Psoas muscle connects & moves the hips, spine & legs; all
movement of Tai Chi Chi Kung comes from the Psoas muscle. The kidneys are
connected to Psoas muscle & nerves are behind move it. The
Psoas muscle is different from all other muscles, when you are relaxed it
shortens & when you move it lengthens but problem is when you don't move it is
shortens, and does not grow. Eventually it shortens until you cannot move it &
your body tightens up.
Also kidney cold energy & fear freezes up the psoas muscle so you have to warm it up & lengthen it out (Tao Yin).
The Heart is warm and the Kidney is cold. Draw heat down from heart into the psoas muscle because the psoas muscle contracts when it receives cold energy from the kidney; when psoas muscle contracts you get back pain but warm energy from the heart loosens the psoas and no back pain. Walking will open it up but we don't walk today. We sit too much in a chair on the sacrum cutting off the Psoas muscle so we should sit only in a squat.
The Psoas muscle & tendons are like rubber bands; when you stretch them too much; they looses their strength (power) but you lengthen them not only by stretching but by growing them through the Chi Breathing.
Home + Site Map + More Easy New Stretches
1. Place One Knee On a Chair (one without
wheels).
2. Slowly Move your Pelvis Forward. Be Careful Not to Rotate Your Hips. As you
Start to Stretch the Hip Flexors.
In This Case the Right Psoas Muscle, the Tendency is to have the Left Hip More
Anterior (forward).
3. A Slight Lean Back Position of your Upper Torso will Accentuate the Muscle
Stretch.
3. Most of Your Weight Will Be on the Leg You Are Standing on.
Copyright © 1996-2003 - D.C. Vacation Relief ®
Journey to the Core
And Explore Your Psoas
By Liz Koch
Yoga offers a challenging physical workout, a gentle means of
relaxing and a pathway to spiritual enlightenment. You may practice yoga for any
number of reasons, but underlying your motives, undoubtedly, is the desire to
achieve a deeper sense of joy and meaning. Whatever your intention, you will
need to journey deep within your physical core before it is possible to acquire
a healthy body, a quiet heart and peace of mind. Before evolving up, you will
need to settle in and down. Grounding is a prerequisite for evolving and
consciously expanding.
Your
"core" spans from the solar plexus to the upper thigh bone and is a place of
power and wisdom. Core muscles run along the spinal vertebrae and traverse the
body's "belly brain." These are the psoas [pronounced so-as] muscles. Both a
functional and instinctive muscle, the psoas protects and maintains your inner
integrity and the universal energy that is you.
The psoas is your walking muscle. Crossing over the ball-and-socket joint, each
psoas muscle works both separately and in a synchronized fashion to free the leg
while walking. The psoas serves as a muscular bridge between upper and lower
body. As a shelf flowing diagonally through the core, the psoas supports all the
abdominal organs. In harmony with diaphragmatic breathing, it massages the
organs and the spine.
Releasing unnecessary tension in the psoas ignites a wealth of inner power and
strength inherent within your core. As part of the sympathetic (flee or fight)
survival mechanism, the psoas instinctively responds when you feel afraid.
Exploring the muscle will help you to contact your core fears, a process that is
vital for physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
However, you won't be able to open to your highest potential if the psoas is
misused. It is not advisable, for example, to physically manipulate the psoas
muscle. Invasive bodywork or deep massage techniques have been known to bruise
the muscle, break blood vessels and cause abdominal hernias.
The psoas should not be used as an anchor. To keep the psoas supple, your bones
should be well aligned, each joint directly under another. When standing in tree
pose, for example, notice if your weight-bearing leg leans to one side. If so,
the psoas is being called upon to help stabilize poorly aligned bones. Try the
pose lying on the floor. Bring one foot to the opposite heel and slowly work the
foot up the leg. Keep your pelvis level so it does not move along with the leg.
If you can achieve tree pose on the floor without the pelvis moving, you are
ready for the standing version. If not, spend time opening the hip sockets and
gaining an awareness of your leg moving separately from the pelvic core.
It is the balanced pelvis that keeps the psoas from being misused. The
foundation of your structural core, your pelvis, creates a base for the spinal
vertebrae, rib cage, shoulder girdle and head, and it transfers weight from the
spine into the legs, knees, ankles and feet. The feet receive weight evenly when
the pelvic girdle is aligned. When the pelvis is balanced, the psoas is free to
move as a muscular pendulum through the abdominal core. If your pelvis is
dipping, torquing or twisted, you will need to discover what is causing the
problem. It may be an emotionally charged psoas muscle, tight leg or butt
muscles or torn or stretched pelvic ligaments.
Powerful stretches done when the body is hot potentially jeopardize pelvic
integrity. Heat combined with force can, over time, stretch the delicate sacral
iliac (SI) joints. If the pelvis has torques or the SI joints have been
stretched, the psoas muscle must engage to create stabilization. As a
stabilizer, the psoas loses its supple, muscular motion. A misused psoas becomes
an exhausted, constricted psoas and eventually shortens, minimizing your
internal openness. Monitoring the force you use to feel energized can help you
avoid misusing the psoas. By staying in touch with your belly core, you will
know what your body needs. When practicing yoga poses, trust your gut feelings
and go only at a pace that allows you to stay centered in your core.
Attempting to achieve range of motion too quickly forces your psoas muscle to
act as an anchor or muscular lock, rather than as an integrative muscle. For
example, when lifting your arms above your head, notice if you gain your range
of motion by pulling your torso out of the core, tightening the solar plexus
area and compressing the spinal column. Rather than arch your back to get your
range of motion, soften the belly core and sense the weight in the pelvis floor
and down the legs into the feet. Staying centered in your core keeps your entire
psoas muscle supple and releasing down towards the earth while your arms move up
towards the heavens.
A simple technique to release your psoas before you begin stretching is the
constructive rest position. Rest on your back with knees bent and the feet
placed parallel to each other, hip width apart of the front. Place your heels
approximately 12-16 inches away from your buttocks. Keep the trunk and head
parallel with the floor. Do not push your lower back to the floor or tuck your
pelvis under in an attempt to flatten the spine. Simply rest in the position for
10-20 minutes. In this position, gravity releases and renews the psoas.
The released psoas serves as an energetic grounding wire to the spinal cord.
Releasing your psoas helps to calm, ground and center your whole being. Whether
you wish to open and align your chakras, improve your digestion or acquire core
strength, you'll need to do so with a supple core. True inner power comes when
you release your psoas and align your self between earth and sky.
By Rick Allen, DC
Over the last three months we have reviewed how the feet influence overall posture and how you may benefit from special support of your feet. This month let's move up to the pelvis and low back. This is an area of the common complaint, "Oh, my back hurts." While you may feel the pain in your back, the problem often arises in the front of the spine, where the large psoas (pronounced "so-as" - the "p" is silent) muscle lies hidden underneath your abdomen. Let's first examine the anatomy and function of the psoas muscle. Then let's apply our knowledge to finding solutions for the problem of low back pain caused by malfunction of the psoas.
![[ Diagram of Psoas ]](../images/29PSOAS.GIF)
As shown in the adjacent figure, the psoas major is a long, thick muscle that lies along the edge of the lumbar region of the spine. Psoas is a Greek word meaning the muscle of the loin. Butchers refer to the psoas muscle in animals as the tenderloin. It runs from the L1 to L5 vertebrae and associated T12 to L5 intervertebral discs down across the pelvis. It is joined by fibers of the iliacus muscle that starts from the inside surface of the pelvis. They blend together, forming the iliopsoas muscle, and insert on the thigh at the lesser trochanter of the femur. Overall, the iliopsoas, or just "psoas" for short, connects the low back with the upper leg.
The psoas has two primary functions:
When you sit the psoas is in a shortened position. When you sit a great deal, as many of us do, it tends to stay short, even when you stand up! The shortened psoas then pulls the lower spine forward. The paraspinal muscles of the low back then counter this pull by tightening, much as support lines on a radio tower, tent pole or mast of a sailing ship. This tug of war pulls the spine down, compressing the facet joints and intervertebral discs of the lumbar spine. The facets become irritated, causing a nagging, aching low back. The discs degenerate over time, becoming thinner and less flexible. The degeneration makes them more susceptible to bulging or tearing, especially with twisting and bending. The disc may even herniate and press on the sciatic nerve, causing unbearable pain down one or both of the legs.
![[ Diagram of Thomas Test ]](../images/29THOMAS.GIF)
Patients typically come into my office complaining of an aching low back.
Occasionally, when the psoas is extra tight on one side, they will be twisted.
They may have sciatic pain down one leg, but the predominant pain is in the low
back, just above the pelvis. A straight leg raise (SLR) test will typically not
create more pain as the hip is flexed to nearly a right angle, with stiffness of
the hamstrings and the low back muscles being the limiting factor rather than
pain. (The SLR test in a patient with a herniated disc is usually very painful
with just six to ten inches of elevation, and is made worse with bending the
foot up (Braggart's Test).) Thomas' test (see figure) is often positive for a
short psoas. Overall, they will have reduced mobility of the low back.
Once the psoas has become chronically shortened to the point where your back aches, my experience is that you require professional chiropractic help. Unfortunately, many chiropractors concentrate only on the back and ignore treating the psoas on the front. The best treatment I have found is an active myofascial and muscle release that I learned in postgraduate massage therapy classes. It is performed from the front, pressing into the abdomen. Considerable skill and care is required to release the tight psoas and the associated fascial covering while not injuring the abdominal organs, so I recommend you seek the help of an experienced professional. Don't just ask a friend to push into your belly!
Most cases respond within four to eight treatments, although I have had some cases where we have had to work for about two months to achieve the desired increase in flexibility and relief of low back pain. In such cases there is often a hindrance to progress, such as counterproductive sitting in a poorly designed chair or standing with poor posture. Sometimes more serious conditions, such as disease of the intervertebral and sacroiliac joints, may cause protective spasm of the psoas.
The best way to explain the difference release of the psoas muscle can make is to give you two case studies. Let two of my grateful patients explain in their own words.
Michelle Uttke referred her dance student, Chad Bartmess, to me for help with chronic low back pain that hindered his competitive dancing. I focussed treatment on the psoas, performing myofascial release and stretching. Summarizing his experience, Chad told me, "After years of pain and discomfort from low back and neck injuries, continuing therapy and repeated attempts to get me to undergo surgery, I gave up! No sign of relief in sight until I heard Dr. Rick talk on posture at Michelle Uttke's dance studio. Michelle recommended that I see Dr. Rick for help as she had done. After two months of treatments, I feel great. I can move, turn, bend and dance like I have not been able to do for years! Thanks, Dr. Rick."
Judy Rush is an office worker here in Portland. Approximately three years ago she developed low back pain following a cross-country airline flight. She was examined and treated by several medical doctors, who ruled out serious pathology and sent her to physical therapy for exercises. She had several sets of x-rays and a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the low back that did not reveal the problem. Nothing seemed to help. The pain in her low back persisted for three years until I performed myofascial release and stretching on her psoas muscles. To help her long-term, I had her employer's ergonomic specialist evaluate and correct her desk and chair to fit her properly.
Judy explains just what a difference treatment has made: "Since Dr. Rick has been treating my psoas muscles, I have started to enjoy life again. I have suffered the last three years from chronic low back pain. Through weekly massage and chiropractic adjustments, in additional to stretching at work and home to keep the psoas muscles stretched out, my chronic low back pain is almost non-existent. It's amazing how these muscles affected my quality of life for the worse. I feel better now than I have for the last three years!!!"
Of course, each case is unique, so I suggest you seek knowledgeable professional care locally. Take care of your psoas, improve you posture and improve your life and, especially, your dancing!
Next article: Let's review some stretches that will help keep your psoas
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