The Psoas is a very mighty and important muscle that often gets forgotten about. It gets used all the time when we are sitting, going up the stairs, bending over, it helps us even with breathing….we use it a lot! It can also send pain down the hip, thigh and even into the low back when it is tight and irritated! I often see clients that have jobs that require them to sit a lot, or have a long commute to work, moms stuck on the couch nursing, etc. that have low back and hip pain. When I am having trouble getting those areas to calm down, I often check their Psoas when I turn them over and yep…tight Psoas.
Be mindful with any stretch, but this one can be an intense stretch depending on how tight it is. Grab a hand towel or pillowcase for this one because you might need it. Scoot to the edge of the bed or couch laying on your back, and slowly and carefully slip your leg off the edge and let it hang down. This may be enough of a stretch for you here, just take a few deep slow breaths if it is, breathing that knee down and imagining the front of your hip opening more. If you need more of a pull, use the hand towel/pillowcase and wrap it around your ankle and use that to grab it as a handle to help you pull it back to where you need it. Some may not need the hand towel and can just grab the ankle to get a deeper stretch. Again, breathe your knee down to open the front of your hip. If it’s too intense, release the pull a little bit and take a few more deep slow breaths. Release the leg very slowly to get out of the stretch. Repeat on the other side.
If you notice this is a difficult stretch for you it might be time to schedule a massage so we can get you some relief! We have a great Fall Special going on right now through November – if you purchase 5 sessions of massage, you get 1 extra session for FREE. We know how crazy this time of year gets, massage is a great way to take a much-needed breather.
These videos are meant to be educational and instructional. They are not able to diagnose or treat a specific issue and are definitely not a substitute for a professional evaluation.
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