Two Reasons Why the Psoas Feels Tight
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Do you have a tight psoas muscle? This incredible hip flexor plays a major role in helping to stabilize both our spine and the front of the hip. It often gets a bad rap for being tight, but that tightness is often brought on by factors out of its control.
Imagine this. You’re standing at the edge of a deep lake trying to hold a kid back from falling into the water. But someone keeps shoving you toward the water. You have to tense up and tighten down to prevent yourself from falling in. Typical “king of the mountain” type response. You know that game you played as a kid? Well, this is what happens to the psoas. Stretching when it’s in this high tone state can often make it more stressed out or can cause issues in the front soft tissue structures of the hip. What the psoas really needs is balance, and to stop getting shoved from behind.
So, who is doing the shoving? Well, usually it’s those deep hip rotators. They grip and shove the hips forward right into that waiting psoas that has to contain the head of the femur.
If we go up the chain, the psoas is the primary vertical stabilizer for the lumbar spine. If your core system isn’t leaning in to help as much as it should, the psoas will have to pick up the slack for that as well, making it tighten down even further.
So, instead of stretching a tight psoas, I like to:
-Address core strength. Specifically, lateral abdominal strength. (The rectus doesn’t help much with this issue since it runs vertically as well.)
-Address deep hip rotator tightness and get the femur back in the socket.
Putting these together can really provide lasting relief for a tight psoas. Do you feel like you have one of these factors affecting your core or hips?
Did you know I teach online:
Online Continuing Education for Fitness and Health Professionals
PCES - Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist
www.coreexercisesolutions.com/postpartum-corrective-exercise-specialist/
Comprehensive online program to help women correct pelvic floor issues, diastasis recti, and more
www.coreexercisesolutions.com
I've always suffered from lower back and hip pain. Never new why and gave up on doctors as they just prescribe garbage to mask, not fix the issue. Last month I purchased a Psoas release tool. The tool helped me release my psoas, diaphragm, and hip flexors within two weeks. No pain now whatsoever and my stress/anxiety is GONE. I can breathe fully and feel amazing. I wish they would have taught us about this muscle group in school.
Good luck and tell your friends that suffer from lower back pain. Get them off meds and onto the road of recovery.
Hi, I am happy it helped you
Where can I purchase this tool?
Great video. I definitely suffer due to the latter reason. What exercises are good to switch glutes off?x
this exercise can be helpful for glute length :)
ua-cam.com/video/qJYVAwhi-e8/v-deo.html
Thank you for this video! My tightness is prenatal ligament laxity causing tight muscles and imbalances. Hormones are a crazy wonderful thing 😂
I am so glad it was helpful!
Thank you for the valuable information. Can you give a little more information on why concentric loading of the adductors is helpful?
Concentrically loading the adductors would be anything than pulls your knees together. So, thinking about squeezing a ball or pulling your body over for a side lunge or something harder like a Copenhagen side plank.
Awesome video! Could you provide examples that work the transverse abdominis without using the psoas? That’s my biggest issue, I feel all of the “core stability” excercies in my hip flexors
You can try this one!
ua-cam.com/video/uaNtySeYPFw/v-deo.html
Thank you! In the second example you mention sway back posture. Is this different than posterior pelvic tilt? I would have thought that people with anterior pelvic tilt would suffer more from tight hip flexors than someone in a posterior pelvic tilt? So would bridges not be good in case they push the hip forward? Thanks
Swayback posture usually has a bit of PPT. So, the different hip flexor muscles have a different action on the pelvis. The TFL pulls the pelvis into an APT. The psoas into a slight PPT because of the line of pull on the lower lumbar vertebrae. So, with a tight psoas you're more likely to see an increased curve around the T12-L1 junction and a decreased lower curve with a slight PPT. Bridges might or might not shove the femur forward. It depends on how their hip muscles are contracting. I go into all of this in detail in both the Pelvis Pro and PCES course.
You can check them out here at my website.
www.coreexercisesolutions.com/
@@CoreExerciseSolutions Thanks for the info! I will definitely check it out!
Great video. Lots of really pertinent information I haven't seen in other explanations on issues with a tight psoas.
Humm thank u...mine are hurting bad after hamstring ball curls ...very hip forward movement as well as I have a poor core lol
This is so so helpful thank you 😊
Yay!
Hello, I have been suffering from what I believe are psoas spasms for approximately 3 months. Has anyone else dealt with something similar? If so how did you go about stopping the spasms? Thank you!
Oh no! I would check in with a provider near you -
You can check out this link for someone who has taken my courses.
www.coreexercisesolutions.com/pces-graduate-map/
Can you link videos for the exercises you described? Specifically the concentric loading of adductors and eccentric loading of hip rotators. Thanks!
Here is an option for concentric loading of adductors
instagram.com/p/CZKh_j5P5I8/?
For eccentric loading of hip rotators - I go into more depth in my programs - you can sample them here!
www.coreexercisesolutions.com/pelvis-pro-miniseries-signup/
Hi thank you for your video. I was wondering if you had any recommendations for the tvabdominal exercises for the right side. Ive been struggling with a tight psoas and quadratus for years and Ive tried one of your videos on deadbug following the form but afterwards my psoas/diaphragm feels so tight I get a tension headache.
I would check out this video and see how you feel.
ua-cam.com/video/tfXhXNYKoXI/v-deo.html
When you say the femur head / hips are too far forward, are you talking about anterior pelvic tilt?
No, I am talking about the femur head being too far forward in the socket.
I'm sure this is me (typical sway back) and the video is very helpful thanks. Although, I do not get "hip flexor" tightness but slight QL tightness and a weird "gripping" sensation of my inner hamstring/adductor region right down to my inner calf region... a feeling that's almost tonic, like it wants to cramp but doesn't quite go there. it's such an unusual feeling. I''m guessing the deep hip rotators and the surrounding muscles are trying to stop my hip socket from getting even further forward than it is - what do you think?
For example, If I go into a half kneeling position it triggers the feeling immediately on the kneeling side. It takes a good 5mins of hinge like mobility movements to settle it down. So frustrating... I will try what you've suggested and see how it goes.
Love your work!
Let me know how it goes!
I just love your content. You help me work through patients in my head that I have been stumped by for weeks! Thank you! (I definitely plan on taking your courses someday)
yay!
Interesting video. Detailed explanations of the recommended exercises would have been nice.
I have those in my courses! You can check them out here!
www.coreexercisesolutions.com/pces/
Can the psoas cause lower abdominal discomfort slightly to the side?
Its possible - yes.
i have varicocele and i also have pelvis and hip tightness. is it possible that they are all related?
Possibly, I'd go see an internal pelvic health specialist for an assessment.
I learned so much thank you
Glad it was helpful!
@@CoreExerciseSolutions I wish there had been some explanation as to the 'solution' to compliment the biomechanical 'problem.'
Can psoas tightness cause thigh pain?
It is possible yes.
Thx for these. What would you suggest if you have one hip/leg that has shortened from muscular tightness. I am trying to balance it out, but not working. Both hips are weak, one more so. Since doing exercises for the glutes and doing hip hinges , now my psoas and ql and erectors are spasming. Most prob due to my weaknesses. I like how you do the quadraped. I was tipping over on one side when doing these several weeks ago. I will try your suggestions to this exercise. The other thing is how do you go about lengthening a shortened hip flexor/leg due to muscular tightness? Just trying to balance things out.
Sounds like you're starting to get to the bottom of things. I've got a webinar coming out soon with more information. So, you can stay tuned for that.
@@CoreExerciseSolutions thank you