Symptoms of a Tight Psoas Muscle

The psoas muscle may be the most critical, but often overlooked, muscle in your body. Without these essential connectors between your torso and legs, you wouldn't even be able to get out of bed! Whether you're practicing yoga or running a marathon the psoas muscle is an integral part of all activities.

But what is the psoas muscle and how do I know if I'm dealing with a tight psoas or another issue? This article will outline what the psoas muscle is and the symptoms of a tight psoas muscle.

What is the psoas muscle and where is it located?

The psoas muscles connect the spine to the legs and are located in your inner core. They extend from your 12th thoracic through your 5th lumbar vertebrae, into your pelvis, and attach to both femurs. They are the only muscle group that connects the spine and legs.

Your psoas muscles allow you to move your hips and legs toward your chest when going upstairs, helping to move a leg forward when walking or running, flexing the trunk forward when bending over to pick something from the floor, and stabilizing the trunk and spine during movement and sitting.

Your psoas muscles are made of both slow and fast twitching muscles. If your psoas muscle is weak, it can cause other muscles to be overused and become sore. The tightness or stretching of the psoas muscle can also cause low back pain or pelvic pain. When a person’s psoas is tight, they may experience pain in their lower back and hips due to compression of the discs.

What are the symptoms of a tight psoas muscle?

Here are some ways to tell if you have a psoas muscle imbalance:

Discrepancy in leg length

A tight psoas muscle can contribute to a pelvic rotation, which in turn causes an internal rotation of one leg. To counterbalance this effect and maintain symmetry when walking, the opposite leg will rotate externally. This will make the internally rotated leg longer so that every time you take a step, it drives your leg up into your hip which can lead to functional leg length discrepancy.

Low back and knee pain

If you experience pain in your knee or low back without an obvious cause, it may be due to a tight psoas muscle. When the femur is locked into place by this tightened muscle, rotational movement won't occur. This can create strain on the joint and result in knee and lower-back pain.

Postural problems

When your psoas muscle is too short or tight it can pull the pelvis into an anterior tilt and cause hyperlordosis in your back. This misalignment is distinguished by tight hamstrings pulling down on the sitting bones, causing a flattened lumbar spine.

The psoas muscles can pull your back forward and prevent you from standing up straight, which can cause low-back pain and injuries at the intervertebral discs. You could also feel pain at the front of your hip. It is possible for both the psoas muscles to be tight and overstretched in this case, resulting in tightness in the muscle on one side and pain on the other.

Difficulty moving your bowels

Since the psoas muscles connect to the lumbar nerves and blood vessels, a tight psoas can impact our ability to control the pelvic organs and legs. This can lead to constipation.

Additionally, a tight psoas shortens your torso, decreasing the space for your internal organs. This poses several problems such as poor digestion and sexual dysfunction.

Menstrual Cramps

Psoas muscles help to balance pelvic organs which can be helpful for menstrual cramps, but when they are imbalanced it can add more pressure on the reproductive organs.

Chest breathing

A tight psoas muscle can cause a thrusting forward of the ribcage, encouraging shallow breathing. This limited oxygen intake encourages over usage of your neck muscles.

Feeling exhausted

Your psoas muscles create a muscular shelf for your kidneys and adrenals. When you breathe in, the psoas gently massages these organs which makes it easier for them to work. If your psoas muscles are imbalanced, your kidneys and adrenal glands may be as well. This can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion.

How to keep your psoas muscles healthy

Avoid sitting for long periods

If you have to be seated, make sure that you sit with good posture. If possible, your hips should also be level or slightly higher than your knees. You can use a towel folded lengthwise under the crease of your hip when sitting down in order to lengthen the hamstrings and help relax the psoas muscles. By changing positions and incorporating movement, it can help reduce tightness in the muscles.

Add support to your car seat 

If you are traveling long distances, stretch and walk around for 10 minutes every 3 hours to keep your hips open. Place a rolled up towel underneath your sit bones and/or behind the lumbar spine to keep the psoas and hip sockets released while traveling.

Monitor your exercise routines

If you are a power lifter, distance runner, or sprinter, or even if you do sit-ups regularly, it is best to practice an alternating workout routine to avoid injuries.

Seek professional Massage Therapy or Physiotherapy Treatment

To help your psoas muscle, you can go to a Massage Therapist or Physiotherapist. It may be uncomfortable but it'll come with amazing benefits. You should get these massages or treatments regularly because they will keep your muscles healthy and fluid. You can also do assisted stretching or yoga to help with the psoas.

Constructive rest position

The constructive rest position (CRP) can help relieve low back, pelvic, and hip tension while it allows your entire body to come into homeostasis. Lay on a yoga mat with your knees bent and feet touching the floor shoulder-width apart. Place both heels about 16 inches away from that area below where you curve inward at waist level; do not push down too hard or tuck in this region of pelvis either as gravity will take over instead. Doing this in the morning when you wake up will help release tension in your psoas muscles and is a good way to calm yourself before going about your day.

Wrapping Up

Psoas syndrome is the cause of many problems, but it can be easily fixed. The tightness in your psoas muscles can lead to feelings of exhaustion and pain in other parts of your body like your back or pelvic area. It's important that you take care of these tight muscles by stretching them out regularly and changing positions while sitting down often throughout the day. Seek treatment from a Massage Therapist or Physiotherapist when needed. It will help loosen up any knots! You should also avoid doing power-lifting exercises because they could make the problem worse. Make sure to get regular massages from a professional Massage Therapist who has knowledge about how tight psoas muscles work for men and women alike so that their tightness doesn't worsen over time or contribute to the tightness of the hip muscles.

If you follow all these steps and advice, then your tight psoas muscle will become less tight over time. Hopefully, in a few weeks or months, you should notice that you have more energy and are comfortable doing your usual activities without any pain!