Do you have tight Hip Flexors and Lower Back PAIN? Is your Ilio-psoas muscle to blame?

WHAT IS THE ILIO-PSOAS MUSCLE?

There is a very important link between your lower back (lumbar spine) and your hips called the ilio-psoas muscles. The ilio-psoas muscle is in fact a group of muscles within the fascia iliaca, that plays a major roll in the posture, movement, and stability of your lumbar spine, pelvis, and hips.

Muscles within the ilio-psoas group include:

1. Psoas Major Anterior Medial Part (origin attachments to body of all lumbar vertebrae up to T12 and the intervertebral discs)

2. Psoas Major Posterior Lateral Part (origin attachments to transverse process of each lumbar vertebrae)

3. Psoas Minor (origin attachment to Rib 12 and T12/L1 vertebrae and disc - inserts on pectineal line of pubis)

4. Iliacus (origin attachment to iliac fossa)

5. Iliacus Minor (origin attachment to most anterior lateral part of iliac fossa)

All but the Psoas Minor then insert at a common place on the femoral lesser trochanter.

Why does this matter and what does it have to do with back pain?

This is important for several reasons:

1. The action of these muscles flex and externally rotate your hips, tilt your pelvis forward, and compress and move all your lumbar vertebrae and discs with every step you take, everday of your bipedal life.

2. The curve of your lumbar spine and the co-aptation of your hips can be heavily influenced by the condition of your ilio-psoas muscles.

3. Between the muscles of the ilio-psoas are many nerves (in yellow) and blood vessels (one that is particularly important called the ascending lumbar vein - squiggly blue line on right).

4. The ilio-psoas is enveloped by the fascia iliaca which is a connective tissue that has a link with just about everything else in your body (including your organs).

5. Your posture and biomechanics relies heavily on the function of your ilio-psoas muscles so the length tension, strength, activation, and alignment of these muscles are of the utmost importance for the health of your spine and hips.

BUT IS STRETCHING ENOUGH??

There are many issues of this muscle group being too tight or too weak or in torsion or different between the right and left side. There are also many tests that can be performed to determine the condition and quality of your hip flexors (including ilio-psoas, rectus femoris, and adductors) i.e. Thomas Test.

The goal of ELDOA METHOD Practice is to consider all of these factors and design a program using many different tools that will enhance the quality and function of this muscle group and encourage the sliding of the fascial layers that are in link.

This may include strengthening your rectus abdominis and different parts of your psoas; improving your gravity line; and doing detorsion exercises for your fascia iliaca, if needed.