We often refer to the psoas muscle as the “hidden” muscle because it's deep inside the body and not visible. It's responsible for helping you bend forward at the waist and keeps you upright when you're standing or sitting. It also helps you breathe by pulling air into your lungs when you inhale and pushing air out when you exhale.
Your psoas hip flexor is a long, thick muscle that runs from the front of your hip to the lower part of your spine. It's between the vertebrae in your lower back and attaches to the front of your hip bone. You use it in many activities, such as walking, running, and climbing stairs.
The psoas hip flexor flexes and rotates your hip and brings your legs up to your chest. When you walk, it helps you swing one leg in front of the other. The psoas hip flexor helps propel you forward when you run or jump. When you're standing still, the psoas hip flexor stabilizes your pelvis so that it doesn't sag or tilt too far forward or backward.
When your psoas muscle becomes tight, it can pull on your lower back and hips, causing pain. Psoas stretches and massaging your psoas can help loosen the muscle and relieve pain. Psoas exercises can also improve your posture by lengthening the muscle and relieving pressure on your spine.
Incorporate your psoas stretches and psoas exercises into your daily exercise routine. Keep a hip stretcher tool nearby when starting your psoas massage.
Start by lying on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Place your right hand on your right thigh and slowly bring your knee toward your chest. As you do this, use your left hand to apply pressure to the psoas muscle on the right side of your body. You should feel a stretch in the front of your right hip as you massage the muscle. Hold this position for 30 seconds before repeating it on the other side.
You can also place your right hand on your stomach and your left hand on your right thigh. Slowly bring your right knee toward your chest, using your left hand to support it. Once you have reached a comfortable position, use both hands to massage the front and back of the thigh where it meets the hip joint. You can also use circular motions with both hands along either side of the spine.
For a deeper massage, place both hands on either side of the spine and press down gently while you rotate your hips from side to side.
Use a psoas muscle release massager when doing your psoas stretches to increase the pressure of your massage. Your psoas muscle release massager should be designed to be the shape of a therapist's hand and have the stiffness of an elbow. By applying pressure with your psoas muscle massager, you can increase the blood flow to the area and help to reduce inflammation.
If you are not sure how to use a hip release tool, ask your therapist for help. Your therapist can show you how to apply the right amount of pressure with your psoas release tool and can also help you find the right position for your body.
The psoas hip flexor is a muscle that needs to be strengthened to prevent future problems. Since it is a large muscle, it has an immense amount of power. It can also cause a huge amount of pain if you are not diligent about doing psoas exercises and psoas stretches regularly. Massaging your psoas and using a hip stretch tool allows you to continue strengthening it and relieves tension from this often-neglected muscle group.
A strong psoas muscle will improve your balance, posture, and stability during exercise routines involving weights or high-impact activities like running or jumping. Doing psoas exercises and using a psoas muscle release massager can also help relieve menstrual cramps by stabilizing the pelvis and reducing pressure on nerves in the lower back and abdomen.
Overall, massaging your psoas hip flexor provides many benefits that can improve your quality of life. If you are experiencing tightness or pain in your lower back, hips, or legs, try self-massage with a hip release tool.