I will preface this post with the recommendation to speak to your GP or physio (not necessarily Jake the hunk at the gym !) if you have any back aches and pains. While most back ache can be muscle related, some pain can indicate a medical condition and should never be self diagnosed, via Dr google, your neighbour over the fence or otherwise.
Today was the first time I heard of the psoas muscle; (pronounced So-as), as in “So, as I was saying, this muscle’s been causing chaos behind your back”. You may not know its name, but if you’ve ever struggled to stand up after binge-watching a Netflix series or wondered why your lower back hates you, you may have just met your psoas. It just didn’t introduce itself at the time.
It’s certainly a muscle that those of us stuck behind a desk for the majority of the day can neglect, which can lead to general aches and pain in the lower back and / or hip area. So what is the psoas muscle?
Hidden deep within the core, the psoas major is a long muscle that connects your spine to your legs, from your lumbar vertebrae all the way down to your femur. It’s a hip flexor, a spine stabiliser, and quite possibly a drama queen if it doesnt’ get the necessary attention.
The psoas doesn’t just “do” movement. It almost “senses”, tightening when you’re stressed (hello, fight-or-flight), shortening when you sit too long, and throwing a tantrum when you ignore it.
Symptoms of a moody psoas include chronic lower back pain, tight hips, postural problems or a general feeling that your body is 93 years old, regardless of your actual age… Some of us grin and bear it, reaching for either the pain killers or TENS machine when it really hurts, but the potential solution may come from something you can do at home. Here is a good video together with a few exercises to gently convince your psoas to stop sulking and that horrible back ache to go away, sometimes instant relief:
Supplements may help (don’t forget to consult your GP or nurse practitioner if you are on any medication, have any allergies or health issues. Your local pharmacist may be able to help as well with guidance. Here are a few to be considered:
Magnesium: Keeps muscles relaxed and prevents cramps. Also handy if you’re prone to sighing dramatically during yoga.
Omega-3s: Anti-inflammatory superheroes for achy joints and muscles. Good to add to your diet if you’re not a fish fan.
Turmeric (Curcumin): Helps reduce inflammation and, if nothing else, gives your smoothie a bright yellow existential crisis. Better ingested in the form of food based on a BBC programme I watched a few years back.
Collagen: Supports connective tissue health, making the psoas feel like it’s lounging in a five-star fascia resort.
So the next time your back aches, your hips pinch, or you feel like your skeleton is personally attacking you, consider checking in with your psoas. It’s been holding you up, literally for years; keeping it happy can be something you can do while waiting for the kettle to boil 🙂
Credit: With sincere thanks to the Solent Windship Co for alerting me to this and the above video to show the necessary muscle checks and exercises to help.
My Thomas test (nothing to do with trains!) was actually really good (potentially due to all that basework done at school from gymnastics and fencing??), but the instant relief from spending 2 minutes doing some stretches took away the little niggling back ache I’ve been having over the past month or so (no equipment needed) – result !
Photo by julien Tromeur
