27/08/2025
It's a long text, but it's worth reading to the end, as we're talking about one of the most important muscles in your body, one that hides deep within.
It's the psoas major muscle – the psoas.
When it's tight, the first sign is pain in the lower back. But its impact extends much further...
The psoas connects the spine to the legs and thus affects your entire posture. When contracted, it pulls the spine forward and deepens lumbar lordosis. The pelvis becomes anteriorly tilted, the abdomen protrudes, and the lower back becomes overloaded. This disrupts muscle balance – the glutes and abdomen weaken, and the back has to work too hard.
A tight psoas also restricts breathing. It lies very close to the diaphragm, so when it's shortened, breathing becomes shallow. This makes it easier to fall into a state of stress, fatigue, and nervous tension.
The proximity of this muscle to internal organs means that its contracture can cause digestive discomfort, bloating, constipation, and, in women, painful periods. It also affects the tension in the pelvic floor, which can lead to a feeling of stiffness and heaviness in this area.
The psoas also affects the legs. It restricts hip movement, causes stiffness in the groin, and can strain the hip and knee joints. If one side is more tense, the pelvis becomes asymmetrical, which causes compensations throughout the spine, shoulders, and even the neck and head. Chronic psoas tension can sometimes cause symptoms similar to sciatica.
When this muscle is chronically shortened, the body loses its freedom. The posture closes, the abdomen and chest draw closer together, and breathing becomes restricted. Pain, tension, fatigue, and a feeling of the body constantly on the defensive appear.
Releasing the psoas brings profound relief. I experienced this myself some time ago. It wasn't just relaxation in this muscle, but also in my lower back, I experienced fuller breathing, lightness in my hips, stability in my pelvis, and a feeling of increased energy throughout my entire body...
Have a beautiful day ☀️
