THE PSOAS

For immediate release

Contact:

Dr. Kevin W. Ross
2405 E. Southern #3
Tempe AZ 85282
USA
Telephone: 480.730.7950
Email: DrRoss@RechargeYourLife.com

There is a problem that is affecting millions of people of all ages and little is being done to correct it. Are you, or one of your family members, a victim? It starts simple and benign. Usually without pain. Then it grows. A little back pain across the lower back. An ache in the lower back if you sit too long. Sometimes it is called growing pains. Pain in the hip. A limp. Clicking in the hip. Pain the first thing in the morning that subsides as you get up and going. Pain or discomfort just as you begin to stand up from a seated position. At its worst you can’t stand up straight and you are in agony.

Is this you or someone you know? You may be the victim of a Psoas problem. (Pronounced "so-as")

The Psoas problem is common and often debilitating and in most cases has a relatively easy solution.

To understand the solution you need to know a little about the muscle called the Psoas. It is one of the largest and most important posture muscles in the human body. Yet, the Psoas is greatly overlooked because it is awkward to work on with most manual techniques. This muscle is deep inside the abdomen and attaches to the front of the spine and the spinal disks. The attachments are from the diaphragm (12th thoracic) through the bottom of the low back spine (5th lumbar). It travels through the abdomen and joins up with a muscle that attaches to the inside of the hip bone called the Illiacus. This is why the muscle is often called the Illiopsoas. We will call the whole thing the Psoas for ease of communication. The muscle attaches to the upper part of the upper leg bone after having gone underneath the Inguinal ligament. The Psoas is the most powerful hip flexor (bringing the thigh to the chest) and is the main muscle that bends the body forward at the waist.

Now with the anatomy lesson out of the way, lets get practical. For your further understanding you need to know about a principle of muscle: muscle that shortens and stays that way will tend to stay that way. Remember that. It is vital. To visualize this or to experience it, put your arm in a sling with your elbow bent sharply. Leave it there all day then remove the sling and try to straighten the arm. It will be difficult and slow. Knowing that, lets get back to the Psoas.

When a person sits for long periods of time whether at a desk, driving a vehicle or playing video games on the floor, the legs are bent toward the chest. This means the Psoas will be foreshortened. (This can also happen with improper sit-ups.) Remember what we said a minute ago--a muscle that shortens and stays that way will tend to stay that way? When a person stands up after having been sitting, the Psoas muscle has to lengthen. If it is tight, it will pull on the low back spine and create stress. Often, this is felt as tightness across the lower back, stiff hips or even outright pain. If the Psoas is tight on one side more that the other it creates torsion and increased stress on the disks between the vertebra. This is not good. Over time this situation will lead to more serious structural problems.

One last big example before we give you the solution. When a person sleeps at night, they often are on their side and usually have their leg, or legs curled up in the so-called "fetal position." Doing this causes the Psoas to be shortened all night. In the morning the person often is slow to get out of bed, finds standing upright difficult, and has to push on the lower back to get moving. Usually, this person is okay once they are up and moving around or after a hot shower. That is a "classic" Psoas problem.

So what do you have to do? This is the great part. A very precise stretch done 3-5 times a day is usually enough to resolve the problem. That is it. In some harder cases a person may need to have the Psoas worked on by a professional trained in specific Psoas work, but most of the work can be done by you. Often with miraculous results.

How do you do the stretch? Begin on your knees (figure 1). Bring one leg up so that the foot rests on the floor and has the leg at a little over 90 degree angle. Then, holding onto something to stabilize yourself, you will bring your hips forward and down while keeping your upper body completely upright. As your hips go forward, you will feel a pull and tightening of the front of the hip on the side that the knee is on the floor. Once in this position (figure 2) you will hold it for at least 15 seconds. A great way to count (as well as increase the results) is to breath in and out very deeply 3 times. As you exhale you will find yourself able to stretch out a little more. Once you have finished on one side come back to the starting position, switch feet that are on the floor and stretch the other side.

While doing this stretch it is important not to rotate the body or to lean forward at the waist. Concentrate on keeping your body upright to increase the effectiveness of the stretch.

Do you sit at a computer all day? Stop at least once an hour and stretch the Psoas. You will feel taller, have less pain and stiffness and, thanks to the breathing exercises, your mind will be clearer.

Do you drive a lot? This work will be vital for you. Every stop you take should include a Psoas stretch. Flying for hours? Do the stretch. A student sitting in class? Do the stretch. Low back and disk problems? This stretch could prevent surgery!

In some cases, a person may need to have the Psoas worked on directly by a professional to allow it to fully relax and respond. Also, adjusting of the spinal alignment may need to occur to allow proper balance of the muscles. A more thorough list of problems and Psoas related information can be found online at www.RechargeYourLife.com. Professionals interested in providing this valuable, easy-to-perform, manual work to patients can access information on the site as well.

My encouragement to you is DO IT! You have everything to gain by this simple work.

Dr. Kevin W. Ross is a chiropractor in practice in Tempe, Arizona, USA. He developed a simple technique and education program on the Psoas that produces great results. Further questions can be directed to him at 480.730.7950 or online at: DrRoss@RechargeYourLife.com.