Tight Psoas Muscle: The Hidden Cause of Lower Back and Hip Pain

Presented by Dr. Masoud Shamaeizadeh, Soft Touch Chiropractic

When people think about lower back pain, they often blame the spine, discs, or even poor posture. However, one of the most commonly overlooked causes is a tight psoas muscle, a deep, powerful muscle that connects your lower spine to your thigh bone.

 What Is the Psoas Muscle?
 The psoas major is part of a group known as the hip flexors. It runs from the lumbar spine (L1–L5), passes through the pelvis, and attaches to the femur. This deep connection makes it a key stabilizer of your lower back and hips, and when it tightens, it can affect much more than you think.

How a Tight Psoas Causes Pain
A shortened or tight psoas muscle can:

• Pull on the lumbar spine, increasing stress and causing lower back pain.
• Create discomfort in the front of the thigh, groin, or hip.
• Affect pelvic alignment, making one side feel higher or rotated.
• Interfere with core stability, leading to compensation and fatigue in nearby muscles.

Many patients don’t realize that their hip flexors can be the hidden culprit when their lower back pain won’t go away, even after massage or spinal adjustments.

 Why Massage Alone Isn’t Enough
 Because the psoas lies deep within the body, underneath layers of abdominal and hip muscles, traditional massage techniques often can’t reach it effectively. While massage may temporarily relax surrounding tissues, the psoas often remains tight and overactive.

That’s why true recovery requires a functional approach, restoring mobility and balance to the muscle, not just applying pressure.

How to Release and Rebalance the Psoas
The best approach combines gentle mobility exercises with strengthening movements to retrain the muscle and prevent future tension.

Step 1:
Before strengthening, the psoas needs to be “re-educated” to move correctly. Effective techniques include:

• Kneeling hip flexor stretch (with a posterior pelvic tilt)
• 90/90 hip mobility drills
• Gentle dynamic lunges

These movements help restore length and release tension without overstretching.

Step 2:
Once mobility is restored, focus on strengthening the core and hip stabilizers to prevent recurrence:

• Glute bridges
• Dead bugs
• Side planks
• Standing hip flexion holds

Balanced strength ensures the psoas isn’t overworked and helps maintain healthy posture and alignment.

Chiropractic Care and the Psoas Connection
At Soft Touch Chiropractic, we often see patients with chronic back or hip pain caused by a tight psoas. Through a combination of chiropractic adjustments, instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy, and guided mobility exercises, we help restore balance between the spine, pelvis, and hips. This integrated approach not only relieves pain but also prevents it from coming back.

Key Takeaway
If you’ve been dealing with stubborn lower back or hip pain that keeps returning, your psoas muscle could be the missing piece of the puzzle.

With the right combination of targeted exercises and chiropractic support, you can regain proper movement, improve posture, and enjoy long-term relief.

Ready to Fix the Root Cause of Your Pain?
Schedule your consultation with Dr. Masoud Shamaeizadeh at Soft Touch Chiropractic today.

We’ll help identify whether your psoas is contributing to your pain — and design a personalized plan to get you moving freely again.
📞 Call (818) 831-0100 

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