The psoas (SO-az) muscle is a very important hip flexor. As such it is attached to the upper, inside femur (lesser trochanter) and to the front (anterior) of the lumbar vertebrae. On top of the psoas muscles lay the intestines and on top of that are positioned the abdominal muscles.

All walking, running, crawling, and kicking activities require you to activate your psoas muscles. In order to sit comfortably your psoas has to be able to relax; sitting for prolonged periods, however can be a perpetuating factor in pain and dysfunction. A psoas that can’t relax can also prevent you from standing up straight, giving you a stooped appearance.

When the psoas has become stuck in contraction or has developed trigger points, the problem generally manifests as low back pain. Sometimes problems also show up as groin pain. A skilled therapist will investigate the psoas of a client who presents with low back pain.

image credited to Real BodyWork