Is Your Psoas Causing Your Lower Back Pain?
There are a lot of common, everyday activities that can cause lower back pain. From sitting in an office to picking up something that’s too heavy, your back can easily suffer. Once you’ve developed that chronic pain, it can be hard to work out exactly where it’s coming from. Let’s take a look at one potential source of your suffering and see how you can best treat it.
What is the Psoas Muscle?
The Psoas muscle is a very likely culprit of your lower back pain. This is because it is involved in many physical movements affecting the back, hips and upper legs. Yoganatomy explains that the Psoas muscle is a combination of two muscles linked together, forming one major back muscle that is attached to the femur. Combined, they are responsible for keeping your lower spine vertebrae attached to the femur, so their job is essential.
Yoganatomy notes that the scientific term for this muscle is the “Iliopsoas” muscle. This is the name of the other muscle involved in keeping your lower back balanced and attached to your femur.
The Psoas muscle is particularly crucial for flexibility – without it, you wouldn’t be able to move your hips and legs as well as you do.
What Does the Psoas Muscle Do?
As we have established, the Psoas muscle plays a vital role in the healthy functioning of your lower back and legs. Wikipedia explains that it is a part of muscles called “hip flexors.” This gives you the flexibility you have in your legs. In layman’s terms, it allows you to bring your legs up into your torso, and in turn bend your torso towards your legs.
The psoas muscle also helps to balance your spinal cord and contract it so that you can perform various movements that everyday life requires of your back.
How Can This Muscle Cause Back Pain?
Back pain caused by the psoas muscle occurs as a result of its ability to contract and stretch. Dr. Christiane Northrup explains that when your psoas muscle is tight and contracted, this can cause pain in your lower back and legs. This is because when the psoas muscle is contracted, it places a lot of pressure on the lower discs in your back. This has a direct effect on your hip and femur joints.
How to Treat Pain Caused by Your Psoas
Luckily, this pain is treatable and relatively easy to maintain once you know that it is derived from contracted psoas. Good posture, maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a balanced diet will undoubtedly improve the strength of back muscles like the psoas. Stretching is another way to treat a contracted psoas muscle.
Niel Asher recommends the hip flexor stretch. This involves a deep lunge that brings your knee up to your chest. Hold this pose for at least 30 seconds, then alternate onto the other leg. Do this two to three times a day will help the psoas muscle to relax and prevent it from becoming too contracted again.
Guest Blogger
Anne Keiley from Free Your Spine
Anne has suffered from back pain for many years, and in 2014 she added to that when she was diagnosed with multiple cervical herniated discs. Anne has managed to navigate a path through her chronic pain using natural medicine and techniques. She believes in finding and dealing with the root cause of pain wherever possible.
