I am a massage therapist in the US trained in a school where I did learn all of the things you describe. Thank you. I didnt learn or hear about doing this anywhere.. it was just something I thought to do. You can damage a clients kidneys or ovaries, or their genitofemeral nerve or other arteries, veins, nerves, etc., that lie over the iliopsoas muscle. Psoas, like Iliacus, is a hip flexor muscle on the front of the body that causes a ton of low back pain when tight.Fortunately, QL Claw's ramp is a very effective Psoas release tool.Release the Psoas with the tutorial below, and scroll down to the Psoas Pain Symptoms section to learn more about Psoas and to determine if it is the source of your pain. I have no doubt you help people with what you do. 4- Pelvic Instability: It can also react this way when there is dysfunction in the pelvis - the psoas will react to take up any slack in pelvic stability. We train and certify our graduates very carefully to work with utmost safety. At the best, you have to go through the muscles of the abdominal wall what if you really affected their external oblique which stopped pulling on the ribs which stopped irritating the iliohypogastric nerve via the sinuvertebral nerves which run up to 4 levels above and below vertebral level, which can affect the rami communicans which can affect transversus abdominis which can affect spinal stability which can cause protective muscle spasm of the psoas? I did not before. Maybe after you release it, it comes back because you have t dealt with the real problem and instead of it holding you back, you actually need to seek out someone who can properly work out why your muscles are behaving this way obviously I dont believe the disc replacement is the reason why because plenty of people have had this and not needed the constant releasing of their psoas. Now, Im broken financially, emotionally, and psychologically. The main groups of things I think of are the following 6 headings One thing I like to use myself is the Yamuna balls. money is an issue, it seems all the same (it isn't), you can't be bothered, etc. Im just wondering if theres any chance that in doing the release she might have damaged something inteneral (such as one of my ovaries?). I think about the same things!!! Also, please call me Antony or I will call you Michal! Fantastic post! I referred him to a knee specialist doctor and told him to avoid any kind of physical activity or stress on the joint. Thanks for you sharing Anthony. It is also the reason why I dont speak specifically about these as I could base a whole website on the reasons why psoas is overactive. Ovaries, uterus and kidneys are also in the area. Firstly, Id like to point out that the chiro does know what she is doing and the point was that even in trained professionals like ourselves, it can still happen. The psychology of the person? When you do this with an inflamed psoas muscle, you put a lot of pressure on the psoas with the inguinal ligament, which often causes a sharp pinching pain at around 130 degrees or more flexion, which in turn, prevents further hip flexion. The latter of these two is obviously more efficient (when it works) because you can go work on something else while the psoas is releasing. I agree there are many therapist out there who have no business touch or working many parts of the body as they lack the knowledge and those who get a dusting of NMT should not be allowed to call themselves neuromuscular therapies because they are not. What would be your treatment recommendations for a locked psoas muscle, considering the cause of it was the hit /impact during an accident? The picture was from google images. No fascial connection between the patellar tendon and psoas? I hope this article doesnt scare people away from receiving treatment, or make therapists reluctant to do the treatments. I thought ninjas made it clear enough , Yep, I got you my friend. press on structures without truly knowing what they are pressing on! I work on myself daily to make it through the day but I also have 2 therapist and an Amazing Chiropractor that I work with. PSOAS RELEASE. These arteries lie in front of and next to the Psoas musclesif you feel a pulse, DON'T RELEASE IT! They only turn on and stay on if they are told to. Poor Psoas does get a bad rap. Hi Anthony We were hoping for some relief for him, but have not experienced that as of yet. Releases pain in the upper legs. Despite your best efforts, the psoas wants to stay in that level of activation which means that whatever it is protecting is more important than the stretching, massaging and whatever you did during the session. You said that psoas tension comes the week before your cycle beginsis it the psoas? The truth is when massage therapists gradual they basically are educated in muscle and of course should know anatomy and some physiology , but it is up to each practioner to continue to educate themselves. email me through my site and Ill share some research. Even though its quite scary to read about, Im grateful for you for posting regarding the risks of psoas release. I usually avoid abdominal work on clients unless absolutely necessary. They can also get better because your massage might have affected an organ or nerve or anything else I listed (or didnt mention) because there is no truly direct way ti the psoas. Are u saying that : maybe the strain I feel isnt due to muscle(s) but to another neurologic mecanism ? Don't just let anyone stick their fingers or foot or implement into your guts. I had none of the bowel or urinary dysfunction I had with it anymore either. Thanks for sharing! This should only be done with the hands since you will be able to feel more with your fingertips. Diarrhea following a fast most often relates to the meal you choose to break a fast. Cheers. Great points- couldnt have said it better myself! 6. Pelvic pain is not taken seriously enough in the world. Hmmthats a nice story. Wanted to discuss further options with you and brain storm. Its a helluva lot safer than sticking fingers into your abdomen! If you are a client, again, it is up to you - what happens if things go wrong? Im UK trained osteopath and sports therapist and I do use active release techniques on Psoas as I do believe while not the primary cause of patients issues, they can be a maintaining factor as well as contributing cause of abdominal imbalance, which ultimately can lead to back and pelvic issues. The only way to get to the triggers is to make sure all the muscles between the psoas and your skin are relaxed. Or perhaps just a coincidence? (other muscles are fine and there is no articular dysfonction). Best wishes & Gratitude. 1 Step 1: Assess True Psoas and Hip Flexor Tension 1.1 Thomas Test 2 Step 2: Rule Out Underlying Pathology If Needed 2.1 Potential Reasons For Psoas Major Tension 3 Step 3: Learn How To Stretch The Psoas 3.1 Neuromuscular Techniques For The Psoas Muscle 3.2 Psoas Release Technique - Reciprocal Inhibition Scaling if it were me, i would go slowly and test things out slowly. And.my mantraknow what you know and know what you dont know. And it is no insignificant problem for competent massage practitioners. Im wondering if its known which specific barefoot massage technique was involved, or if it was just a random use of a foot by an untrained person: you mentioned that the coach stepped on her psoas. BTW, I dont think the psoas is often the main problemmaybe sometimes the attachment onto the leg especially in young people but not often in the spine. Now Im able to go in quickly and gently and with lots of presence of mind, confidently. Safer? Fingers crossed this does it! Something that is nauseous makes you feel nauseated. Hey Marco Im sorry, I dont have any specific contacts off the top of my head in Colorado. Diarrhea after you eat can be caused by many things, ranging from the stomach flu to a more serious disease. If they are ok, find someone who can sort through a holistic view of your body to find the cause of your pain, bot just the synptoms. Sadly it had been sold and the couple who are both highly respected Doctors and researchers retired and sold the school now is it a massage school where you get a dash of NMT. Ive always heard that strengthening and especially Kegels are a no no for hypertonic muscles. If it sounds like Im incredulous, its because I am, but Im willing to entertain your theory if you can explain it better. ( 16) Check with your doctor to make sure foam rolling is OK with you. Furthermore, I dont typically view the psoas as the be-all-end-all cause of the clients problems, but rather one of several/many muscles stuck in an imbalanced holding/movement pattern. But you arent. We have so many nerves and muscles between the psoas the the outside of the body, if releasing the psoas was beneficial, it is likely to be from other reasons. If you dont mind I will reference your article. Secondly, the therapy and body work on hip flexors vastly vary in techniques, effectiveness, ease, and safety. Modalities including deep tissue to advanced kinetic stretching have profound effects on the hip flexors. Do we stretch? If the leg is flat, I dont think it could possibly be that your psoas is dramatically contracted or shortened. The psoas is just another muscle. Appendicitis from massage would be rare. Really interested in massage as I know I am extremely guarding likely. too often we tend to take it personally when someone points out that what we may be doing may not be the best way to do things. Newport, Rhode Island. They can either help you or direct you to someone closer. Neither worked for me, and Ive tried the contract-relax with clients with no change. Possible regions why the psoas may be overactive include any joints in the trunk and lower limbs. Noosa Queensland Australia. Your point about paradigms, models, philosophies, and stories is a good one and I agree that we should be careful not to be too certain about what we BELIEVE to be true. When you eat, the muscles in your large intestine squeeze (contract) and empty your bowels. Muscles are dumb. When the psoas takes that job, it means something wrong is happening in the background. The nervous system does tell the body what to do, but the body also tells the nervous system what to do. I love to read up on the research and get a good understanding. The pain should be tolerable, like a 2-3/10. Would a real time ultrasound show a change in the psoas size or activity? It sounds like she irritated a nerve by accident lots in the area! Sure, it does help some people but have you ever had a client feel worse after your massage? Im in middle of physical therapy for a hip injury(with a trained US therapist) and she had done a psoas release to me twice. It is unlikely she did any damage but that kind of treatment is, in my opinion, unnecessary. check out her site, books and such easy info to digest and integrate on RELEASING the psoas, and move correctly to not engage it when not necessary. It is a bad world we live in if you suffer with any kind of pelvic pain. In this case, do u think working on the psoas/fascias is worth it ? It usually lasts about one or two days, but it may last longer. Thanks for the reply! I agree with you Charles. I sincerely doubt you lengthened the muscle otherwise massage would fix people with contractures. First of all Im a physical therapist. 1. I would be working to desensitise those. Hi Dave. That sucks david. 2 The psoas minor acts to flex the lower (lumbar) spine helping you bend forward. The OS told me the psoas tendon was terribly inflamed and very swollen at the time. 5. I suggest you find the primary contributing factors that are causing the issues you are observing , There are two positional releases for the psoas, one of which involves holding the leg in a position which shortens the muscle and waiting until the client relaxes and lets go of the tension or effort to help you hold it there. She said, it would feel like she is ripping out my ovaries. That was a technique my pt taught me. Have your patient lay supine with knees and hips flexed. I am a massage therapist with 24 years experience with training in Neuromuscular therapy. Ive had weekly massages, chiro visits, foam rolled, stretched twice a day, and nothing seemed to help. Its got tons of good stuff. 2. Anytime you walk, run, bend over to pick something up, or even stand . For pain management information, body in mind, NOI, PainScience.com are good places to start. From my understanding all change was neurophysiological as Antony mentioned. Also doing light flushing strokes with finger tips toward the belly button helpful in lymphatic clearing as well as quing a hamstring release. No. 6. Thanks for the article and great photos! Again, I dont know them so interview them. Iliacus is easier to access with less chance of pushing on anything we shouldnt be..and I often find that just by getting the triggers on iliacus is enough to remove the pain. You are most likely affecting some structure neurally anyway so find better ways. VuMedi is a video education platform for doctors. Thanks for sharing ,karins story. Psychological and Sociological contributing factors When I went to THR for the second hip, I asked about the psoas tendon. I greatly appreciate ur article, & ur site. Also, how does an overactive psoas result in decreased hip flexion? I was diagnosed with pelvic tension myalgia and a tendency toward a really tight psoas by a physiotherapist trained in pelvic work. I have to disagree. Your psoas release feels good Im happy. I used to practice a lot football and when i was shooting the ball pain was worsening (extremely feel of strain in my left quad). Do we have trigger point therapy or is it useless? Harry thanks for that. This is the case even more so after extended fast periods. After work-out (now it's almost everyday) I practice stretching of the whole body including specific and global stretchs. . This applies to body work as well as religion/philosophy, politics, and really everything. One very common reason is that you released the lrotective muscle spasm which was protecting them from going into hip extension or posterior pelvic tilt or lumbar flexion. Thanks Drew. When she contacted me, I told her to go straight to emergency as I thought she had a ruptured appendix. For me, the idea that the psoas and urinary issues are connected is because a tight or traumatized psoas can't sit back into the bowl of the pelvis and ends up closer to the bladder than a happy psoas might. I hope abd pray you get some answers. i dont know if i should go back to her or see another dr. Antony, do you have any good physio referrals in Denver, Colorado? Went to the chiropractor the day I was injured, could barely walk, if I stood stationary I would have to take my left hand place it at the back of my thigh to move my leg. I really like the technique show by erson religioso shown here: http://www.themanualtherapist.com/2011/08/technique-highlight-psoas-release.html?m=1. Ive observed its smart to always stay in their comfort zone. The best way to assess injury is to ask a MD to help you find out. Great post! ; ; Hi Antony, I am in the Philadelphia/Southern NJ area. Get plenty of healthy fluids before, during, and after your workouts. After a few treatments I was getting better, relapsed once in the years time up until roughly four weeks ago. Ive been treating a patient who has Carpal Tunnel Syndrom and a few weeks ago, he arrived complaining about edema and pain in his right knee after playing soccer with friends during the weekend. He might have good contacts for you. Recovering from the surgery and sitting out of CF for 6 weeks was diffucult and lonely. I was checking this other article about the subject and I totally agree with whats there. Im guessing Karin and others may also experience similar feelings and questions.. Thanks again for a great post! But, when the psoas muscles become imbalanced, so do your kidneys and adrenal glands, causing physical and emotional exhaustion. I suspect these measures are only bandaids on the real problem. Some physios and chiros (like myself) have done courses on how to "listen" and take care of viscera. Thanks for sharing. . Thankyou for sharing such detailed information! one night the pain had awaken me and as I was laying on my side( pain side down and that is KEY) I pressed the psoas about 4 inches below my belly button) and got a fast small pain and great release with very minimal pressure. First of all, there is too much to do in an examination to give advice so I wont comment on your case. Continued success leads to confidence and confidence can become over-confidence which can lead to not being careful. is quite remarkable and if lower spinal erectors and quadratus lumborum are contracted (anterior hip tilt) iliopsoas is almost always a player since it is forced to work in a lengthened position. Fortunately, there is no pain. Understanding why you have pain and how to improve it is key. I hope she didnt mess anything up. With the massive increase in "mobility" exercises, drills, and not to mention "things" you can buy to help release muscles, more people than ever are interested in keeping their body in good shape and releasing muscles - This is a good thing. If you approach the psoas from an appropriate angle, you will avoid the Rectus Abdominus. How can it ever recover? It is not as intense as before but has returned. very much essential Hi Brooke I would just get it checked by the doctor. Muscle atrophy and weakness from prolonged limited movement, all sorts of overcompensation issues from favoring the good side over the injured side, etc etc. I do think the viscera and arteries are pretty hardy in most people but there are risks in some populations. Whether that is a significant fact or not is uncertain. The OS told me he would not normally touch . I very rarely ever try to work on the psoas, I just dont think I need to be in there stirring the pot up, so to speak. Understanding what the original cause is for the shortened/contracted psoas, is like the classic chicken or egg question. Pingback : Today: Two things to stop doing. Cheers. 9.5/10 pain is not really what we aim for in physical therapy! Maybe your problem is not with the psoas but something else and the psoas is reacting? It makes my pain lower but its still there. I meant that its almost impossible to reach psoas due to its location. Your muscles support your spine. Specialty training and advancing your body work education obviously enhances therapist performance.