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Pretty much all athletes overuse their psoas during training and competition. If you're an athlete, you do not want to have a tight psoas. A tight psoas causes the quads to overwork. If you have chronic quad strain, look to the psoas for answers. Other common ailments among athletes due to psoas dysfunction are chronic low back pain, groin pain, sciatica, and knee and ankle tension - just to list a few.

Any sport involving running and jumping can lead to psoas injury. Dancers often have psoas issues due to excessive jumping and the strain placed on the psoas during single leg lifts, especially when the leg is held in a lifted position for a while. We work with many dancers at our studio and most have psoas issues.

Cyclists are prone to psoas issues due to the structure of the bike. It doesn't allow for full extension of the psoas and muscles in a shortened position for prolonged periods of time remain short. Stretch that psoas after your rides.
    
Triathlon training poses a special problem to the psoas due to the nature of the bike/run combo. The psoas is kept shortened during biking and must lengthen during the run. A psoas stretch is essential between the two. Many cyclists will instinctively try to elongate their hip flexors while riding their bike by standing on their peddles and pushing their hips forward. This will elongate your psoas and other muscles in the front of your body.

Keep your psoas stretched! Stretch after training and races. Stretch before training and races. Stretch between training and races. A healthy psoas is critical because psoas injuries can affect your whole body. You can easily develop knee, ankle, or even upper back and neck tension from a dysfunctional psoas.

Whatever the athletic endeavor, a healthy psoas will help keep you in the game.

Low Back Stretching Clinic with Rodney McBride (CMT, CPT)
 
Tuesdays - 5/13, 5/20 and 5/27 from 6:45 - 7:45pm
 
$105 total for workshop - 5 person limit

New clinic times immediately available on demand.

Please call Psoas for more information or to sign up for our Low Back Stretching Clinic today - (415) 227-0331.

Psoas - the major core muscle is partially responsible for:

• Chronic low back pain
• Sciatica
• Intense menstrual cramping
• Hip socket tension
• Groin pain
• Chronic quadriceps strain
• Knee, neck and ankle tension
• Bladder and digestive disturbances
• Structural imbalance
• Poor flexibility in the core
• Poor core strength    
• Lumbar joint immobility
• Organ dysfunction

Many believe that psoas ailments are under reported and under diagnosed problem.

Psoas ailments are under-reported and under-diagnosed. Many practitioners do not know how to help an ailing psoas - fortunately for our clients, we do.

At Psoas, we pride ourselves on keeping our clients healthy for the long run. Here are some ways for you to save while keeping yourself up and running.

1. Client referrals. Every time you refer a new client, you'll get 20% off your next massage!

2. Morning discount. All new clients who book their first appointment to end before 1:30pm will receive a 20% discount on that appointment.

3. Multiple series discounts. Get a 10% discount when you purchase a series of massages (in blocks of 5).

4. Check our website to see if your group, company, association, or referral source receives a discount. Please talk with us if you want to receive discounts for your group.

5. Take 10% off your next appointment - as a thank you for sharing your experience at Psoas by writing a review on Yelp.com or CitySearch.com.

6. Talk with us about your flexible spending plans and health savings accounts - most plans allow massage. That could mean as much as a 40% savings on your bodywork.

Thanks for your continued support!

 

Another reason for psoas problems comes from sitting excessively. Sitting for long periods will cause your psoas to build up adhesions and remain tight - thus putting pressure on tendons, ligaments, other muscles and joints. This concept is worth repeating here - muscles in a shortened position for prolonged periods of time remain short. Computers and desks should come with this proverb engraved on them.

Many desk workers are familiar with the upper body perils of desk work - repetitive strain in the arms, wrists, and hands, neck and shoulder pain, and carpal tunnels syndrome. Most are unaware that the psoas is also negatively affected by sitting and could cause a variety of symptoms including low back pain, sway back, groin pain, and sciatica. Because of its location -  crossing the hip in the front of the body - a tight psoas can make it difficult to stand up straight. Often, desk workers find it hard to rise from a seated position after sitting for a long time.

A few tips for desk workers:

• Drink enough water that you need to use the bathroom once an hour. Between filling your water bottle and bathroom trips, this should limit prolonged seating.

• Make sure your feet are firmly on the ground and your hips are higher than your knees while sitting. We want to keep the psoas as long as possible while seated. The closer your knees get to your chest, the shorter your psoas will be. This is not good.

• Make sure to stretch throughout the day. A deeper stretch would be nice, but try this one a couple of times a day - it's simple. Stand with both feet beneath you, shoulder-width apart. Take a 2-foot step forward. Raise both hands and elongate toward the ceiling.

These tips should help but if you think you may have a psoas issue call us soon at (415) 227-0331 - you don't want it to become something chronic.

Here is a great psoas stretch:

• Place your right knee on the ground and your right foot, top of foot, and toes down. Lunge your left foot forward.

• Make sure your left ankle is in front of your left knee - allow for more room to move your knee forward later to increase the stretch, without the knee moving over the ankle (this is protective of the knee).

• 
• Use a chair for balance if needed.

• Draw your right foot and leg back, stretching the front right side of the body.

• Move your left knee forward, leaving your right foot and knee in place, increasing the stretch.

• Suck in your belly and extend your torso upward. Stretch your right arm upward toward the sky to help torso extension.

• Slowly, continue extending upward with your right arm and forward with your left knee. Don't extend your knee past your ankle.
  

• Breathe.

 
Check out our stretching guide for more stretches.