A few weeks ago I did a post on hyperlordosis and how the psoas is a primary contributor to it and back pain. Issues with the psoas and hip flexors are pretty common since most people sit during a large portion of their day, and it can cause pain anywhere from the sacrum to the scapula (ass to shoulder blade). The following is a nice visual on what the psoas looks like when stationary and during various hip movements (the captions aren’t in English, just look at the image after reading the hyperlordosis post):

I recommended that if you were hyperlordotic to try working on your psoas. Instead of just mashing around in your guts, I wanted you to learn where your psoas was so that you could work on it. There are a few good techniques to use, but you have to be accurate with you’re massage. At worst, you could occlude your abdominal aorta; at best you’d just be doing a pointless massage. Here is the info on how to find the psoas on yourself:

To begin, lie on your back, pull your knees up, and let them fall to the side opposite to the posas you want to work on. This will let your intestines move away from the target area. Start about two inches from your belly button — you’ll be between the button and your hip bone. You are feeling around for a muscle that runs longitudinally with your spine. If you are incredibly tight, it can feel like a hard sausage. To confirm that you are touching your psoas, flex your hip (pull your knee up) slightly; the psoas should contract. Another way is to lift your head to contract your rectus abdominis; the psoas will be off to the side of the area that contracts. It may take a few minutes to become acquainted with the psoas your first time; be patient, virgin.

 

Most of you wrote back saying that you couldn’t find it. I don’t have to ask to know that you weren’t patient during your search. When palpating deep tissue, you have to allow your fingers to sink through the superficial tissue — stuff like fascia or connective tissue can prevent immediate palpation of the deep stuff. I’ve made a video “finding the psoas” is broken down crayola style.

If you have any issues with this process, then post the questions to the comments.