The psoas muscle is an important part of your core stabilization. This muscle starts in your low back and runs along both sides of your spine through the pelvis and into the leg bone. It also attaches to and combines with the iliacus to form a muscle that helps lift your leg up. Imagine these muscles as a bridge in the center of your body connecting all the parts of the upper and lower body. The psoas muscle helps you with physical movement that requires use of your core and legs like sitting up, walking, standing and climbing stairs. Lumbar spine and pelvis support are a key function of the psoas and helps your posture and body alignment.
Psoas Dysfunction & Symptoms
The pelvic floor functions in conjunction with the psoas in stabilization and posture. With the psoas muscle working together and so closely with the pelvic area, it is important to know that a problem with the psoas muscles can directly impact the pelvic floor muscles.
Psoas dysfunction can be caused by many factors:
Overuse ~ repetitive hip flexion or external rotation of the thigh through movements like jumping and running.
Trauma ~ direct trauma to the back or pelvic area can cause issues with the psoas muscles.
Sitting ~ sitting for extended amounts of time can cause strain, tension, and tightness to these muscles.
Dysfunction in the psoas can lead to pelvic floor muscle tension or weakness. Discomfort and pain in the lower back, hips and pelvic region may be a symptom of a tight and imbalanced psoas. It can also cause imbalances in the pelvic floor muscles leading to a negative impact to your bowel and bladder functions.
Pelvic Floor Therapy to Heal The Psoas
A pelvic floor physical therapist can assess and treat all aspects of pelvic health, including dysfunctions stemming from the psoas muscle. A pelvic PT might look at your hip range of motion, palpate or touch the psoas to see if it reproduces your pain, and test your core strength. Pelvic floor therapy can help restore the balance by releasing tension in the psoas and relaxing or strengthening the pelvic floor muscles.
We can help you through:
Exercises to reduce the strain on the psoas muscles
Help with postural strengthening and body mechanics
Exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
Manual therapy to help reduce pain and tension
Stretching techniques to release tight muscles
Breathing exercises to help your nervous system
Core strengthening to improve overall stability
An assessment by an experienced pelvic floor therapist will help find the root cause of any adverse symptoms you are experiencing. We can then incorporate these exercises and techniques into a treatment plan that will help you to reduce and eliminate your symptoms. You can feel better and you can get back to your normal activities!
If you have pelvic health concerns and would like to see how our therapists at
Embrace can help, follow the link to schedule your free discovery call.
