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The Most Common Cause Of Lower-Back Pain?

Dr. Tina
Dr. Tina

In my 10 years of practice, there is one muscle that I find almost always associated with lower back pain: the Psoas muscle, so today I’d like to talk about this essential core muscle and how we can stretch it out to prevent lower back pain.

The Psoas Muscle is one of the largest core muscles in the body connecting the spine to your legs. It functions as a hip flexor and is very important in movements such as walking and running. This muscle is located deep within the body so it’s very difficult for you to feel with your hands and to sense it internally.



 

When you sit for prolonged periods of time the psoas muscle becomes extremely tight and this puts a lot of pressure on your lumbar discs which in turn causes lower back pain. However, lower back pain is only one of the signs of a tight psoas other symptoms that may seem unrelated include:

 

  • Bladder pain
  • Hip pain
  • Leg pain
  • Digestive issues such as constipation
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Pelvic pain
  • Snapping or clicking sound in the hip


Can a tight psoas muscle be released?

Absolutely! Because the muscle is so deep in the body, the best way to release it is by stretching it out regularly, especially when experiencing any of the above symptoms.

 

Here is an easy way to stretch your psoas muscle out at home.






Do this stretch on a carpet or yoga mat, following these instructions: 

  1. Place your right leg in front of you at about a 90-degree angle.
  2. Drop your left leg so it extends backward
  3. Keep your shoulders and hips square to the ground
  4. Bring your hips slowly forward
  5. You will feel the psoas muscle on the left is stretched
  6. Hold for 30 seconds
  7. Repeat on the opposite side

 

Remember a stretch should always be done slowly and controlled, if any stretch causes pain it should be stopped immediately.

 

I hope you found this article helpful, if you have any questions about this stretch or if you have a specific topic you would like me to discuss please feel free to let me know by replying to this mail.

 

I hope you always have a pain-free day!