The psoas major is the most important muscle in the body. It walks us forward in life, it warehouse’s all of our unprocessed emotions and it goes a long way to holding the spine upright on top of the pelvis. The psoas at the front and the gluteus maximus and piriformis in the back are connecting the legs to the pelvis, and between them, holding the spine aloft if the psoas is well aligned and functioning as designed. The psoas muscle is known as the “hidden culprit”, it can be the cause of back pain.
The psoas major is the biggest and strongest player in a group of muscles called the hip flexors: together they contract to pull the thigh and the torso toward each other. The hip flexors can become short and tight if you spend most of your waking hours sitting, or if you repeatedly work them in activities like sit-ups, bicycling, and certain weight-training exercises.
I seem to get a run of clients in my clinic who have a psoas problem, good news is Bowen Therapy is very effective in treating this condition. Usually a few days after treatment it is a good idea to do lengthening exercises. Because the psoas is a big and potentially strong muscle, you’ll be able to lengthen it most effectively by stretching one side at a time in poses such as a basic lunge or if familiar with yoga, the warrior pose, where the hip of the back leg is in extension.
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