Muscle Energy and Functional Release to Hip Flexors

Muscle Highlight: Iliacus and Psoas

I believe that you can treat the hip flexors to improve function and decrease pain. Iliopsoas is a combination of Psoas and Iliacus. They contribute to a variety of ailments, including low back pain, groin pain, pelvic pain, or buttock pain. The primary action of the iliopsoas muscle is hip flexion (described as bringing your knee up towards your chest). For many reasons, they are tight because most of us are sitting a lot throughout the day for work. Whether it’s a desk job, driving, or long flights it all results in shortening of the Iliopsoas. The shortening of the muscle can cause dysfunction in the pelvis and tension in the spine. A shorter stride when walking or running, and changing our gait pattern which can lead to injury or general pain.

Let’s look closer at each muscle, the Psoas (the p is silent), it’s pronounced so–az. It originates on the anterior part of the spine at the thoracic vertebrae T12 down to multiple lumbar vertebrae L1-4. It inserts at the lesser trochanter of the femur. The iliacus muscle originates at the iliac fossa along the anterior part of the ilium (along the inner top of the pelvic bone) and inserts, at the lesser trochanter of the femur. Both of these muscles flex the hip and can assist in some rotational movements at the hip.

The location of these muscles is deep in the abdominal cavity below layers of other tissues. Releasing tension and tightness is not impossible, and when done correctly it can bring great relief.

Posture plays a major role. Tightness in the Iliopsoas, can cause our pelvis to tilt anteriorly along with pulling our spine into a lumbar lordosis. Also referred to as “sway back” where you have an inward curve of your lumbar spine.

There can be many techniques that release the tension of the Iliopsoas. I have learned a couple of different methods that are effective. A Muscle Energy Technique (MET) and Functional Mobilization. MET is a mobilization to the muscle or joint that’s taken into a restrictive zone. I will ask the client to push gently with the movement against my pressure. With the hip flexors, since we know the muscle’s action is hip flexion we can contract into that motion. The muscle is then relaxed, and the Therapist takes the dysfunction further into the restrictive zone releasing more tension. Other movements during the mobilizations with the legs can be used to release the muscle as well.