{"id":4784,"date":"2023-05-16T07:00:34","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T11:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chaneyhealth.com\/healthtips\/?p=4784"},"modified":"2023-04-22T22:37:50","modified_gmt":"2023-04-23T02:37:50","slug":"the-iliopsoas-and-lower-back-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chaneyhealth.com\/healthtips\/the-iliopsoas-and-lower-back-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"The Iliopsoas And Lower Back Pain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Relief From Lower Back Pain<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Author: Julie Donnelly, LMT \u2013The Pain Relief Expert<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Editor: Dr. Steve Chaney<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Back<\/a>May was the start of the beautiful weather when I lived up in New York. April showers began to bring May flowers. Of course, here in Florida we have flowers all year, so it\u2019s our friends to the north that are enjoying a glorious array of colors during this month. For us May is the beginning of the hot weather.<\/p>\n

The Snowbirds are leaving Florida and heading back up north. Safe journey. I\u2019ll miss you!\u00a0 It\u2019s funny having friends that are gone 6 months of the year.<\/p>\n

But it also means that life is beginning to slow down for us.\u00a0 With most of the snowbirds gone, driving is easier, the stores are less crowded, and we can park at the beach.\u00a0 The weather is still beautiful so we can still go outside to ride a bike, jog, or play the sports we enjoy. This leads me to talk about preventing lower back pain as we become more active.<\/p>\n

The Anatomy of The Psoas And Iliacus Muscles<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>In this month\u2019s newsletter we will be discussing the psoas and iliacus muscles and how they can contribute to lower back pain. Anyone who has come to my office with lower back pain, hip\/groin\/knee pain, or sciatica is familiar with these two muscles being the root cause of all these conditions.<\/p>\n

There is more to the story of each of these conditions, and I have covered them thoroughly in previous newsletters, and in each of my books. Today I want to really explain the \u201cwhy\u201d of how a muscle in the front of your body plays such havoc with the back of your body.<\/p>\n

The psoas muscles (shown in brown in the figure on the left) originate on the FRONT side of the lumbar vertebrae and the iliacus muscles (shown in purple in the figure on the left) originate on the inside curve of your pelvis.\u00a0 They join very close to your pubic bone and become one muscle group called the iliopsoas muscle group<\/strong>, and they play a critical role in hip and core stability.<\/p>\n

The iliopsoas muscle group runs together to where it attaches on the top\/inside of your thigh bone.<\/p>\n

The Role Of The <\/strong>Psoas And Iliacus Muscles<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The psoas muscles pull you forward so you can bend over, and the iliacus muscles lift your legs up to take a step. Together they are responsible for flexing your <\/u>hip joint, which is important for movements such as walking, running, climbing stairs, and sitting down.<\/p>\n

Additionally, these muscles play a vital role in maintaining good posture and providing stability to the pelvis and lower back. In fact, the only time they are not contracted is when you are standing straight and still.<\/p>\n

When these muscles are tight or weakened, they can cause significant problems, including:<\/p>\n

*Low back pain.<\/p>\n

*Groin pain.<\/p>\n

*Hip pain.<\/p>\n

*Knee pain.<\/p>\n

*Sciatica.<\/p>\n

How The <\/strong>Psoas And Iliacus Muscles Cause Lower Back Pain<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>When the psoas muscle becomes tight from repetitive, or overactive, use it can pull on the lumbar spine.\u00a0 An analogy I use frequently is just as pulling your hair hard can hurt your skull, the psoas muscle pulling hard on the front <\/em>of your lumbar spine will cause the bones to hurt.<\/p>\n

The pressure causes excessive curvature of the lower back. This excessive curvature can cause compression of the lumbar discs and joints, leading to pain and discomfort.<\/p>\n

Since your iliacus muscle originates on the inside curve of your pelvis (hip), when it is tight it is common for a person to have hip pain that feels like it\u2019s deep inside the hip.\u00a0 And it IS deep inside the hip, so much so that you can\u2019t get your fingers in more than \u00bc of an inch to press on the muscle.\u00a0 Fortunately, when you come into the office I can get far into the muscle and release the deep spasms that are causing the problems.<\/p>\n

Additionally, since they merge and insert into your thigh bone, tight psoas and iliacus muscles can cause imbalances in the pelvis, leading to asymmetrical movement patterns that can contribute to lower back pain and a lot more!<\/p>\n

Conversely, weak psoas and iliacus muscles can also cause lower back pain. When these muscles are weak, they are unable to provide adequate stability to the pelvis and lumbar spine, leading to excessive movement and strain on the lower back muscles. This strain can lead to muscle imbalances and compensations, which can ultimately cause lower back pain.<\/p>\n

How The <\/strong>Psoas And Iliacus Muscles Can Cause Arthritis Symptoms<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"back<\/a>Think of this situation: the muscles are tight and pulling hard on the bones.\u00a0 You are trying to move in the opposite direction, but the muscles are preventing you from moving in that direction.\u00a0 The more you try, the more the bones hurt.<\/p>\n

In fact, as the tight muscles pull on the bones, they can actually start to tear the muscles &\/or tendons away from the bone.\u00a0 The body sees this as a \u201cMAYDAY,\u201d an emergency distress signal.\u00a0 The pressure on the bones causes inflammation to occur. You are also in danger of the muscle severing either from the tendon, or from the bone.\u00a0 So, the body sends out the rescue squad of bone cells to hang on to the tendon.<\/p>\n

Now you have:<\/p>\n