The psoas muscle aka iliopsoas
Flexing your hip never felt so good!
The psoas major muscle starts along the spine in the lower thoracic (part of the spine that has the ribs attached) and lumbar (lower back) area, travels through the pelvis and inserts onto the inside of the femur (thigh bone). There’s one on each side. It’s primary action is to bend the hip. The psoas counteracts the gluteus maximus in the buttocks to balance out the pull of the femur. It’s part of the anterior chain helping to pull the body forward in space by advancing your leg forward when you crawl, walk or run. This muscle helps to connect the lower body to the spine and core. They are shortened in a seated position.
On top of adding structural stability to your center, the psoas muscle can be a source of tension in the body. Because they are so deep into the trunk area, they are harder to feel when compared to your biceps or hamstrings. Tension can be held in this area without us realizing it and, not only can we carry physical pain/stress but also emotional pain/stress. I often hear in yoga classes that we need to “open” the hips to release stored emotions. I’m not 100% certain that emotions get “stored” in the body, but I do believe that past traumas and injuries can get us into a pattern of experiences that can lead to chronic pain and tension in the body. The psoas tightens during times of stress because of a heightened sense of “fight or flight.” Pause and think about times you have been emotionally stressed. You may have curled up into a fetal position, crouched down to hide, curled up in a ball, or hugged your knees. So, I don’t think that by stretching your hips, then you will somehow release emotional stress. That seems to me to be a form of spiritual by-pass. You’re avoiding doing the deep emotional work necessary to release trauma by only stretching your hips. But, I do think that getting curious about how a part of your body feels during movement and during rest, we unlock doors toward our path in healing.
By bringing awareness to the area of the hip flexors, we can work through these felt sensations to create a more balanced and whole lived experience with less pain and with less of a “fight or flight” response from our nervous system. I also think that in my part of the world, in the United States, we tend to sit in chairs rather than the floor a lot and stay seated for a majority of our day. Keeping the hips bent for long periods of time encourages the hip flexors to be in a shortened position. We don’t extend the hips back very often as compared to how much we bend them forward.
Learning about this muscle allows you to explore and start to unravel the mystery and understand your own body.
How do you check the strength of your hip flexors?
Start off laying down with the legs straight. While keeping the leg straight, try to lift one leg off the bed/floor and lower. Do this on each side. What happens? Does it pull in your lower back? Is there a “pop” deep in the front of the pelvis/hip area? Is it painful? If so, where? Is it hard to lift?
Now, try it in sitting. Allow the knee to bend as you lift the leg, like you are marching. Can you do this without back support? Does your back round as you lift the knee? Do you feel a “pop” or a “clunk?” Is there pain? Is it hard to lift?
I’ll invite you to stand. With use of the wall or countertop to use for balance support, try to lift the knee higher than the level of the hip. See if you can hold the knee higher than the hip for 5 seconds. Try each side. Does the knee drift back down, level with your hip? Is there a “pop” on the lifting or lowering of the knee? Do you lose your balance? Is there lower back pain? Can you keep your chest lifted and the natural curve in the lower back or do your round your spine bringing the head forward? Does your foot drift inward or outward as you hold the knee up?
One functional move to see how your hip flexors are doing is to try to complete a low squat. When you get to the bottom of the squat, are you able to maintain the natural curve in your lower back or does the lower back flatten and round forward? The hip flexors help maintain the natural curve in the lower back, so if they are not working well, your lower back will lose its natural curve causing the lumbar spine to round and flatten.
All of these movements can give you an idea of weakness that you may have in the hip flexor muscle.
How do you check the flexibility of your hip flexors?
Lay back on a firm surface and let the lower legs from the knees down hang off the edge. Bring one knee up toward your chest, using your hands to help while keeping the other hip straight and the lower leg resting off the edge of the table with the knee bent. Keep your back on the table without allowing it to arch off the table. Tighten the abdominals to help keep the back down. If there is tightness in the psoas, your straight hip may want to bend causing the knee to lift up. Check each side. If there is no tightness, your leg should stay straight at the hip with the knee and lower leg resting still on the edge of the table.
Kneel on one knee. Keep the core engaged to keep the spine in a neutral position. With the shoulders stacked over the hips and the knee that you’re kneeling on, shift your weight forward. Notice how the hip feels across the front. Is it hard to keep a neutral spine? Do you arch your lower back? Do you feel tension or pain? Do you find it hard to breathe with ease? Check both sides and notice any differences. If you want an alternative, sit in a chair with one leg off the edge but in a similar shape to kneeling. Shift weight forward while being supported by the chair.
You can use these as tests but also stretches if you find that one or both of your psoas muscles feel tight.
To release the psoas, you can stretch and you can use a towel, small ball, tennis balls, or Yoga TuneUp(from Jill Miller) to help release the psoas. Lay on your stomach. Place a rolled towel across the groin area and lay over that. Or, place one ball in the hip crease/groin area and lay over those. Breathe and allow your body to relax over the balls/towel. Practice for several minutes and see how you feel.
If you find yourself sitting in a chair for long periods, set reminders for yourself to get up or change your position. Shift your weight forward, back, and side to side. Recline back, stand up, walk around, lay down or move to another place to sit. Vary your position often so that the psoas doesn’t stay in a chronically short position all throughout the day.
Give these a try and let me know what you discover!
Take good care,
Sharon