Part 1
Psoas Syndrome
Why is your back so tight? Why are you feeling inflexible? When you are working at the computer, you have to stretch backward to unroll yourself. What does it all mean? It could be your Psoas.
I believe the psoas muscle (pso·as | \ ˈsō-əs) is THE most important musculoskeletal muscle in your body. This essential muscle, just to dance, run, walk, bike, eat at your favorite restaurant, go to the movie theater. Heck you wouldn't, you couldn’t, even sit on the couch or even be able to get out of bed in the morning! This is because these muscles mainly connect your torso and your legs. They affect your posture, your core and help to stabilize your spinal column.
So let's explain a little more about these muscles. Because they are skeletal flexor muscles, weaker psoas muscles can cause many of the encompassing muscles to compensate and become overused. It is made of both slow and fast twitching muscles. (Your body normally uses slow-twitch fibers to power muscles first. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are working more if you’re doing high impact activities) So like Pelvic pain and low back pain, tight or overstretched psoas muscle could be the cause of many of your aches and pains and not just those. It can affect your neck, shoulders, and even knees.
A movement that can strain your psoas muscles includes standing and twisting from your waist without moving your feet (like doing the Windmill Stretching Gym class) or any movement that causes your leg to externally rotate or even doing too many sit-ups. And guess what else? Sitting at your desk for long periods of time can cause the muscles to shorten and learn to stay short from long excessive, I would even dare to say abuse periods. During prolonged periods of stress, your psoas is constantly tight. The same tightness occurs when you sit for a long time. Do you engage in excessive running or walking, sleep in the fetal position, do a lot of sit-ups, or as I said, sit at a desk all day. All of these activities tighten and shorten the front of your hip and your psoas muscle.
In fact, they are the only muscles that connect your spine to your legs. Your psoas muscles allow you to bend your hips and legs toward your chest, for example, when you are going upstairs or walking and running. In fact, they are the only muscles that connect your spine to your legs. They stabilize your trunk and spine during movement and sitting.
The psoas muscles support all your internal organs and help the Lymph process from one part of the body to another through movement. They are not only vital to your structural well-being but also to has to do a lot with your psychological and emotional well-being because of their connection to your breath, and the Fight or Flight response can become quicker. Between the fascia and tendon connection to the diaphragm, So the psoas helps you walk and breathe at the same time. Easier than chewing Bubble Gum!
PLEASE don’t just stretch it out until we verify what is really going on. You really could do more harm than good if it's overstretched already. First, we find out what makes it hurt or what makes it feel good.
So if you have hip pain or any other indications that it might be Psoas.
You and I can start here.
Comments