One of the best preventative measures for back pain is to exercise regularly and keep your back and abdominal muscles strong.

Here’s a few pointers:

• Always stretch before any strenuous physical activity.  In fact it’s a good idea to engage in a regular stretching program like active isolated stretching every day.

• Don’t slouch when standing or sitting.

• Be sure you sit with good lumbar support.

• Switch sitting positions often and periodically walk around or gently stretch muscles to relieve tension.

• Don’t bend over without supporting your back

• Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.  Sorry ladies… no I’m not!

• Reduce any curve in your spine while sleeping, and always sleep on a firm surface.  Get a good mattress.  Think about what you spent on your car and how much time you are in it each day.  Now, when you consider that you spend around a third of your life on your mattress, it should be a good one… a really good one.

• Lift with your legs, keeping your back straight.

• Control your weight.

• If you smoke, give it up!  Smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes the spinal discs to degenerate.  It won’t worry the government.  They’ll find other ways to tax you.

Also, to keep your spine strong.   As with all bones, you need to get enough Vitamin D every day.

So what causes Back Pain?

Naturally, accidents and sports injuries can be the cause of the pain, but a number of other factors can contribute to back pain, including:

• Poor posture..

• Obesity..

• Poor physical conditioning like lack of exercise..

• Psychological or emotional stress..

• Internal disorders such as kidney stones, infections and blood clots..

• Osteoporosis (bone loss)..

Pain in the Back? Let’s look to the Front!

What a lot of  people fail to realise is that many times, the pain can actually originate from the opposite side of where it hurts.

Sitting for long periods can shorten the Iliopsoas muscles that connect from your lumbar region to the top of your Femur (just under the Greater Trochanter… the ball joint), at the front.)

When these muscles are shortened, it can cause severe pain when you stand up as they will effectively pull your lower back (lumbar) forward.  Many people end up going through drastic medical procedures to “fix” this type of pain, or end up taking big mobs pain killers for extended periods of time, when in fact it can be easily remedied by massaging the Iliopsoas muscle to affect a release.

This type of massage should ONLY be done by a qualified massage therapist.  Why?   Because your Vena Cava… a large thick vein is nearby.  This massage technique is a deep one, but should be done gently.   If you are talking to a therapist about back pain, ask first if he or she is familiar with a Psoas Release. (Pronounced ’so-as’)

You can also use mild stretching to counteract the shortening of your Iliopsoas, especially if you sit for long periods of time every day.

Likewise, having firm abdominal muscles not only holds your gut in, they also stabilise your spine, vertebrae and discs.  Many people completely eliminate their back pain simply by developing stronger abdominal muscles.  Some even wind up with a bonus six pack!

If Back Pain is a problem to you… consider natural, drug free, non-surgical remedies for this common problem.  Make a call today… arrange an appointment and experience the many benefits that Remedial Massage has to offer.

If you’ve been trying to find the best massage tool to relieve your tired body of its aches, pains and stress… forget it… give it a miss.

All of those different massage balls, electric massager chairs and other hand held tools that claim to make you feel good  are absolutely nothing in comparison to a good old fashioned “hands on” massage where a therapist can feel your muscles and know what to do with them.

People think these massage gadgets, which can include exotic chairs worth thousands of dollars are great, but they can never match the motions and feelings that you will receive if you are getting a “hands on” massage from a qualified and experienced therapist.

Put simply, there is no tool or machine that can do what a human hand can do on your body during a real massage.

Another great reason why you should get a “hands on” massage instead of the current massage tool that you are using is because a proper massage can get all of those places that relax you instead of just giving you a bit of a rattle.

It’s possible to use your home massager and find a spot that allows your muscle to feel nice and relaxed.  It may work for a little while, but eventually you realise that the tool is really not really doing much for you at all.

Massage involves various pressures and a variety of techniques such as kneading, effleurage, cupping, hacking and stroking… and you won’t find a chair that can do all that.

A “hands on” massage from a skilled therapist will have lasting effects and you will feel the results for days.

A massage conducted by a qualified and experienced massage therapist will be able to loosen you up in ways you could never imagine.

Experienced therapists know all of the tender, “ooh-aah” spots on your body… places you probably didn’t know know existed.  Do yourself a favor and arrange  a real massage today.

When dealing with patients, as Therapists,we need to view the body as a whole. Our perspective should be modified to incorporate a complete picture from head to toe including an appreciation of its component parts.

By becoming aware of our own posture, and of ways to correct it, we are often able to give advice to all those who are open to receive it.

Posture’ means simply position or alignment of body-parts.  It means:

• Body-alignment that favours function.
• Position that requires the least muscular work to maintain, and which puts the least strain on muscles, ligaments and bones.
• Keeping the body’s center of gravity over its base.

Good posture in standing position, for example, means head and chest held high, chin, abdomen and buttocks pulled in, knees bent slightly and feet planted firmly on the ground slightly apart.

Thanks to gravity, the only way the body can be kept upright is through muscles exerting a continuous pull on the bones in the opposite direction to gravity.

The muscles are able to do that thanks to their property of tonicity.

Tonicity or muscle-tone refers to the constant readiness of the muscles to react.  Our muscles are never completely at rest.  They can lose their tone through illness, old age, accident and lack of exercise, and become flabby.

Massage is an excellent way to restore muscle-tone.

Effects of Bad Posture:

• Poor posture throws more work on the muscles to counteract the pull of gravity and therefore hastens fatigue.
• It puts more strain on ligaments… more abnormal strain on bones… and could lead to deformities (e.g. spinal misalignments).
• Bad posture interferes with respiration and heart action.  It can even diminish the feeling of self-confidence.  You’ll probably start feeling like a dag and your quality of life heads south.

Ideal Plumb Alignment:

If we were to drop a line down the side of the body and line it up with the Lateral Malleolus (aka ankle bone), on the way up, it should pass slightly to the front of the midline of the knee.
Progressing higher, it should pass through the centre of the hip joint… higher and through the shoulder joint and through the lobe of the ear.
Slightly posterior to the apex of the normal surface.

Muscle Role In Posture:

Mans basic instinct is to prevent himself falling forward, consequently his muscle maintain the original stance.

The muscles that hold man erect against gravity are called postural muscles.
These muscles have a majority of slow twitch (red) muscle fibres, which can hold a contraction for a long time before fatiguing. If posture is not balanced, postural muscles are required to function more like ligaments and bones. Postural muscles tend to shorten and become hypertonic when under strain.

In contrast the phasic muscles, which have a majority of fast, twitch (white) muscle fibres and will tire out fast. It is more common to find muscular tendinous junction problems in phasic muscles. The four most common problems are micro tearing of the bursitis. Phasic muscles will weaken in response to postural muscle shortening. Phasic muscle can become hypertonic. This almost always results from some sort of repetitive behaviour and is a common problem in athletes.

Imbalance between these muscles leads to postural abnormalities, which need to be corrected by an exercise program that stretchs thePpostural muscles and strengthens the Phasic muscles.

Military Type Posture:

Many people try to solve their slouching problem by telling themselves to “Stand Up Straight!” … and if they didn’t correct themselves, their parents or teachers did.  These people take on a military-style posture. But in reality, military-style posture causes just as many problems as slouching.

The phasic muscles are purposely being used to maintain the military-style posture and these muscles will fatigue quickly. This is why when most slouchers try to correct their posture they can only maintain the “correct” posture for a few minutes and then they collapse back into their comfortable slouch.

In this ‘military type’ position, the chest is elevated and the pelvis is tilted forward putting the rectus abdominis in a somewhat elongated position. The lower back and the hip flexor muscles are in a shortened position. Due to the anterior pelvic tilt, the hamstrings are in a slightly longer position than in ideal alignment.

Although this posture is not one of the four main types of postural alignment, the Military type posture can occasionally be observed.

With  this “military type” position, the chest is elevated and the pelvis is tilted forward putting the rectus abdominis in a somewhat elongated position. The lower back and the hip flexor muscles are in a shortened position.

It is characterised by an increased curve in the lumbar spine of lower back and an anterior pelvic tilt.

The client shows a posture in which the chest is pushed forward.

Kyphosis Posture:

This image shows the typical posture of someone with an increased Thorax (Kyphosis) and an hyper extended lower back (Lordosis).

This position places stretch on the anterior hip joint ligaments, the one-joint hip flexor muscles and the external oblique abdominal muscles. These muscle groups usually show stretch – weakness. The lower back and hamstring muscles are likely to be strong and somewhat short. In the upper trunk, the opposite conditions prevail. The upper back muscles show stretch ‘96 weakness and the upper abdominals are likely to be strong.

Kyphosis is usually associated with an increase curve of the thoracic spine. Along with this, a slightly posterior pelvic tilt is seen along with a reduced lumber curve and a forward head position. The client will show a hunched over posture with a depressed chest.

Lordosis:
We speak of Lordosis when there is an increased curve in the lumbar spine of lower back. Often there is also an increased pelvic tilt. This posture shows the stomach and head are pushed forward.

Lordosis is defined as an excessive inward curve of the spine. It differs from the spine’s normal curves at the Cervical, Thoracic, and lumbar regions, which are, to a degree, either Kyphotic (near the neck) or Lordotic (closer to the low back).

The spine’s natural curves position the head over the pelvis and work as shock absorbers to distribute mechanical stress during movement.

Lordosis is found in all age groups. It primarily affects the lumbar spine, but can occur in the neck (cervical). When found in the lumbar spine, the patient may appear swayback, with the buttocks more prominent, and in general an exaggerated posture. Lumbar Lordosis can be painful, too, sometimes affecting movement.
Not every Lordosis requires medical treatment. However, when the curve is rigid (fixed), medical evaluation is warranted.

Flat Back Posture:

The term ‘flat-back’ describes a faulty posture where the spine appears straight.  It doesn’t have the normal curves of a healthy spine. A ‘flat-back’ posture has a forward head, or excessive extension of the cervical spine. He has increased flexion of the upper portion of the thoracic spine while the lower portion of the thoracic spine is straight. His lumbar spine is flexed. As a result, his pelvis is tilted backward and his hip joints are extended. His knees may be extended as well.

People who have flat-back posture often have strong abdominal muscles, though the positioning of the pelvis indicates that the hip flexors are weak. The hamstrings will be tight also, pulling the pelvis into a backward or posterior tilt. Weak neck flexors and tight neck extensors contribute to a forward head.

In flat low back posture, generally the hamstring muscles are tight, which brings the back side of the pelvis closer to the thigh. As the pelvis moves forward, it has a straightening effect on the curve of the lower spine.

Along with tight hamstrings, the flat low back posture will also show strong lower abs, back muscles and weak quadriceps muscles.

While it is good for your back to have strong abdominal muscles, a flat low back posture is a deviation from ideal alignment, and affects posture and balance.

Occasionally due to the position of the hip it can be difficult to fully straighten the knees when standing.

Sway Back Posture:

A Sway back posture can be seen with a neutral or posterior pelvic tilt with the hip almost rolled upward to the front. The client shows a relaxed posture, leaning backwards with the upper body.

A Sway-Back posture has several characteristics.

The head is forward. There is increased flexion in the upper back.

• The ribs are positioned behind the hips.
• The pelvis is tilted back, yet it sways forward from the feet. Both hip knee joints are hyperextended and the ankle joint is usually neutral.
• The consequence is someone whose trunk seems to be behind the rest of the body. The chest seems to be depressed, and the hips seem to thrust forward.
• Pregnant women tend to have this posture, and some continue to stand this way when carrying their children after birth, to offset baby’s weight and have their arms free to do chores.
• Someone with sway-back posture may complain of back pain.

A person that has the sway-back posture has weak hip flexors and external obliques. The muscles that extend the back are weak also. The forward head position makes for weak neck flexors, and the low back can be very tight, requiring stretching. The hamstrings and internal obliques may also be tight.

Scoliosis:

With this condition, we have a lateral or sideways curve in the spine that is apparent when viewing the spine from behind. It can be genetic or due to abnormalities or diseases of bone, muscle or nerves. A mild degree of Scoliosis is common, occurring in up to 50 per cent of the population.

Scoliosis generally does not require any specific treatment. However, severe scoliosis does indeed need treatment. Scoliosis occurs mainly in the thoracic and thoraco-lumbar regions.

Between the ages of about nine and fourteen, children bones grow rapidly and can in some children form excessive bony deposits in spots of the skeletal structure. At this time the backbone or spine may show signs of developing Scoliosis.

There are two basic types of Scoliosis.

Structural and Functional.

In the structural Scoliosis the mechanics of the curve are such that rotation of the vertebrae occurs in combination with lateral curvature, and this usually produces a protruberance of one side of the rib cage, seen best when a person bends forward. This is the worst type of scoliosis, and it can be progressive.

In the functional Scoliosis, fixed rotation does not occur, and the curvature is usually non-progressive. This type of Scoliosis is classified into postural, and most commonly due to a short leg.

If so, do you also spend adequate time stretching the muscles you specifically exercise?

The answer should be a definite “yes.”

But whether you’re a fitness fanatic, an armchair sportsman, or if normal day to day activity is your only exercise, there are some muscles you work hard regularly but rarely or never stretch.

Can you name two of the most heavily exercised but most taken for granted and under-stretched muscles in the body?

Pecs and Hip Flexors:

Ten points if you said Pecs (Pectoralis Major and Minor – in the chest) which draw the arms around to the front, and Hip Flexors (mainly Iliopsoas group – across the front of the hips) which lift the legs.

What singles out these muscles for special mention is that for long periods of each normal day they are being used (contracted) and exercised.

But most people are unaware this is even happening.

Whenever you sit down – for example, at your work desk for most of the day, watching TV or driving a vehicle – the hip flexor muscles stay contracted.

Similarly, every time you work with your arms  to your front – like at a desk or computer, peeling prawns over the sink, laying paving blocks, hammering nails, serving at a counter, etc – your Pec muscles (also known as shoulder medial rotators) are contracted and being exercised.

But even most serious fitness enthusiasts, who would never dream of exercising a  muscle group without also stretching it, ever think about stretching these particular muscles for their routine daily activities.

Now, with all the above in mind, how many of you ever get sore or tight in the lower back, or in the back of the neck and shoulders? (If you answer “no,” you’re definitely in the minority).

Back Pain from the Front:

It may surprise you to know that apart from cases of specific injury or slipped disc, etc., lower back pain or tightness can usually be attributed to tight hip flexor muscles in the front.

Similarly, tight front Pec and other shoulder medial rotators are generally responsible for muscular aches and pains in the back of the neck, shoulders and between the shoulder blades.

One joint hip flexor (Iliopsoas group) muscles go from the side of the spine from mid to lower back and down across the front of the hips to the top of the legs. When they are tight, they tilt the hips forward, which causes the smaller muscles in the lower back (from the top of the hips to the spine) to also tighten by default. This is where you feel sore.

Think about the sore lower back you get after driving or sitting at a desk for several hours without a break.

When you get up to stretch, you generally lean backwards, not forwards. In other words, you stretch your hip flexor muscles – across the front of your hips – to make your back feel better.

• When Pec muscles are tight, they make the shoulders rounded and pull the cervical spine and head forward.

• For the eyes to focus ahead rather than down, muscles in the back of the neck and shoulder area are forced to tighten to pivot the head back and upward on top of the neck.

What this all means is pain in the lower back and shoulder areas is often just a symptom – not the main cause of the pain, which is often in the front of the body.

As unlikely as it sounds, it may be that releasing tight hip flexors in the front is also needed to help alleviate pain between the shoulder blades at the back.

It could be that a tight hip flexor on one side raises one hip higher than the other. This in turn tightens muscles on one side of the spine in the lower back, which in turn pull on other spinal muscles up between the shoulder blades on that side.

Unfortunately, for time, cost and other reasons, many health professionals focus on only treating the SYMPTOM, not the CAUSE, in the case of muscular aches and pains.

Take the Time:
However, most qualified and experienced remedial massage therapists are prepared to take the time to not only relieve the symptom, but also try to determine and remove the main cause or contributing factors.

Remedial Massage and stretching can alleviate or heal most muscular aches and pains, as well as have many other benefits.

If you’re experiencing muscular pain in your body, make an appointment today.  You’ll be surprised at the difference a Remedial Massage can make.

The Psoas is perhaps the single most involved muscle, and it is the cause of most grief in the low back, neck, shoulders and especially the hip joint.  Often, the patient will complain of feeling sore in the groin.

A contracted Psoas will significently reduce performance in athletes and accident victims and has a detrimental affect on our ability to function properly at work.  When it is released, it gives a profound feeling of relief, and is likened to a heavy weight being removed from their hips and lower back.

The psoas major plays an important role in maintaining the lumbar lordosis.  Contractures of one or both psoas (major and minor) through over use or muscular imbalances will definitely affect pelvis rotation.

In most back and hip pain complaints, the cause is often the psoas muscle which is one of the most important muscles in the body. Problems related to the Psoas include: low back pain, sacroiliac pain, sciatica, disc problems, spondylolysis, scoliosis, hip degeneration, knee pain, and menstruation pain. The list can also include pelvic tilt, leg length discrepancies, lumbar lordosis and kyphosis

Primarily, the Psoas flexes the hip and the spinal column with an average length of 400 millimeters. It’s a very powerful muscle, and runs down the lower mid spine beginning at the 12th rib connecting with the vertebral bodies, discs and transverse processes down the lumbar vertebrae.  Then it passes across the pelvis to attach on the inside top of the leg at the lesser trochanter.

The lower portion combines with fibres from the iliacus muscle, which sits inside the surface of the pelvis and sacrum, to become the Iliopsoas muscle as it curves over the pubic bone and inserts on the lesser trochanter.

What is the function of the Psoas?

The psoas functions as a hip and thigh flexor, which makes it the major walking muscle.
If the legs are stationary, its action is to bend the spine forward.  If sitting, it stabilises the trunk.  The lower psoas brings the lumbar vertebrae forward and downward to create pelvic tilt.

When we think of smooth, elegant and graceful movement in dancers and athletes we are looking at the psoas functioning at its optimum. It requires that the psoas maintains the pelvis in a dynamically neutral orientation that can move easily and retain structural integrity. This creates positions of the spine that require the least muscular effort.

Common Ailments

Sore back, shoulders and knees are common complaints of people who lead a full and active live. Let’s face it, there are many occupations that are not kind to muscles.

In most cases, one of the major common denominators of these problems is imbalance in a muscle group known as the Iliopsoas aka Psoas Major, Psoas Minor and Iliacus muscles.

These are the hip flexor muscles and extend from along the side of the spine from about mid-torso down to the base of the spine then across the front of the hips to the top of the leg.

Most people are familiar with muscle names like quadriceps (quads), hamstrings, calves, “abs,” biceps, triceps, “lats,” etc because they deliberately exercise them.  But I doubt if even .001 per cent of the population knows they have this Iliopsoas muscle group let alone its actions and the musclar imbalances it can cause in the rest of the body.

Because Iliopsoas muscles flex the hip, they contract every time you walk, run, jog, climb, sit or bend. Think about how much and how often this happens every day!

They are also postural muscles – in other words, they help hold you upright while you are standing and sitting – and are designed to take a lot of hard work and punishment before they ever feel sore.

But that does not mean they are not tight. If they are, they can put all sorts of uneven pressures on the hip.

They are quite substantial muscles and pull the front of the hips downwards, causing muscles in the lower back and along the spine to tighten as the back of the hips tilt up (hence the back pain).
Among these lower back muscles is the Quadratus Lumborum from the top of the hip on an angle to the spine.  It acts like guy ropes for the spine, helping to stabilise it and keep it balanced.

If the Psoas muscles from one side of the spine pull tighter than the other, it tilts one side of the hips higher, putting uneven pressures along the back of the spine and on several major leg muscles which go across the hips and knee joint.

Because the Iliopsoas group can cause tightness in muscles controlling flexibility of the spine (including Quadratus Lumborum), they also can have a big impact on shoulder muscles.

When you start to raise your arm above your shoulders, at about 150 degrees the shoulder blade begins to rotate upwards and the spine flexes to accommodate this.

If the spine is too rigid from tight muscles, then the muscles moving the shoulder blades need to work harder and can fatigue or become sore.

Pain in your back, shoulders or knees is usually due to tight or strained muscles in those areas but, in fact, it is often the hip flexors that have caused those muscles to be tight in the first place.

Hopefully from the above, you will agree the reason for muscle and joint pain is not always what it seems and that the therapist should look at the bigger picture to give you the most effective treatment.

A good tip if you’re ringing around to find a remedial massage therapist is to ask the masseur, “Can you do a Psoas (pronounced so-as) Release?”
A qualified and competent therapist will know straight away what you are referring to.

Psoas Release

A Psoas Release is a technique used to help release tight hip flexor muscles across the front of the hip, to balance the hip and get it back in correct alignment.  This then helps reduce or remove some of the uneven pressures on other muscles in your back and legs.
It involves putting pressure from the fingertips into the Psoas muscles just above the hips and lowering and raising the leg against this pressure to stretch the muscle.

It can sometimes be quite uncomfortable or painful, depending on how tight the muscle is, but the results are well worth a possible few minutes of discomfort well within your normal pain tolerance.

Without this technique, therapists who only treat the areas you say are sore are often only doing half a job (if the hip flexors are part of the problem)

In reality, they may only be treating a symptom of the problem, rather than the probable cause as well.

Health care is expensive enough without having to make repeated visits for problems which often can be fixed or greatly relieved quickly when a Psoas release is included in the treatment.

If you haven’t tried massage therapy for a bad back or that pain in your hips, make a call today.  Make an appointment and experience the many benefits that massage has to offer.  With any massage however, it’s advisable to wear comfortable underwear that’s not too tight.

The Psoas is the only muscle to connect the lumbar spine to the legs.
The Psoas is perhaps the single most involved muscle, and it is the cause of most grief in the low back, neck, shoulders and especially the hip joint.  Often, the patient will complain of feeling sore in the groin.

A contracted Psoas will significantly reduce performance in athletes and accident victims and has a detrimental affect on our ability to function properly at work.  When it is released, it gives a profound feeling of relief, and is likened a heavy weight being removed from their hips and lower back.

The psoas major plays an important role in maintaining the lumbar lordosis.  Contractures of one or both psoas muscles, the major and minor, through over use or muscular imbalances will definitely affect pelvis rotation.

In most back and hip pain complaints, the cause is often the psoas muscle which is one of the most important muscles in the body.

Problems related to the Psoas include:

Low back pain, sacroiliac pain, sciatica, disc problems, spondylolysis, scoliosis, hip degeneration, knee pain, and menstruation pain.

The list can also include pelvic tilt, leg length discrepancies, lumbar lordosis and kyphosis.

The Psoas, with an average length of 400 millimeters, flexes the hip and the spinal column. It’s a very powerful muscle, and runs down the lower mid spine beginning at the 12th thoracic vertebrae connecting with the vertebral bodies, discs and transverse processes down the lumbar vertebrae.  Then it crosses the pelvis to attach at the lesser trochanter on the inside top of the leg.

The lower portion merges with fibers from the Iliacus muscle, which sits inside the surface of the pelvis and sacrum, to become the Iliopsoas muscle as it curves over the pubic bone and inserts on the lesser trochanter.

What is the function of the psoas?

The smooth, elegant and graceful movement in athletes and dancers are typical of a perfectly functioning Psoas. The Psoas functions as a hip and thigh flexor, which makes it the major walking muscle.
It also keeps the spine vertical, just like the guy ropes on a flagpole to tall radio mast.  If one psoas gets tight or contracted, the opposing one has to stretch, and the spine tilts, and the hips do likewise.  The result is muscles start to ache.

Common Ailments

Sore back, shoulders and knees are common complaints of people who lead a full and active live. Let’s admit it, there are many occupations that are not kind to muscles.

In most cases, one of the major common denominators of these problems is imbalance in a muscle group known as the Iliopsoas aka Psoas Major, Psoas Minor and Iliacus muscles.

These are the hip flexor muscles and extend from along the side of the spine from about mid-torso down to the base of the spine then across the front of the hips to the top of the leg.

Most people are familiar with muscle names like quadriceps (quads), hamstrings, calves, “abs,” biceps, triceps, “lats,” etc because they deliberately exercise them.  But few would know they have this Iliopsoas muscle group let alone its actions and the muscular imbalances it can cause in the rest of the body.

Because Iliopsoas muscles flex the hip, they contract every time you walk, run, jog, climb, sit or bend. Think about how much and how often this happens every day!

They are also postural muscles … in other words, they help hold you upright while you are standing and sitting , and are designed to take a lot of hard work and punishment before they ever feel sore.

But that does not mean they are not tight. If they are, they can put all sorts of uneven pressures on the hip.

They are quite substantial muscles and pull the front of the hips downwards, causing muscles in the lower back and along the spine to tighten as the back of the hips tilt up (hence the back pain).
Among these lower back muscles is the Quadratus Lumborum from the top of the hip on an angle to the spine.  It acts like guy ropes for the spine, helping to stabilise it and keep it balanced.

If the Psoas muscles from one side of the spine pull tighter than the other, it tilts one side of the hips higher, putting uneven pressures along the back of the spine and on several major leg muscles which go across the hips and knee joint.

Because the Iliopsoas group can cause tightness in muscles controlling flexibility of the spine (including Quadratus Lumborum), they also can have a big impact on shoulder muscles.

When you start to raise your arm above your shoulders, at about 150 degrees the shoulder blade begins to rotate upwards and the spine flexes to accommodate this.

If the spine is too rigid from tight muscles, then the muscles moving the shoulder blades need to work harder and can fatigue or become sore.

Pain in your back, shoulders or knees is usually due to tight or strained muscles in those areas but, in fact, it is often the hip flexors that have caused those muscles to be tight in the first place.

Hopefully from the above, you will realise the reason for muscle and joint pain is not always what it seems and that the therapist should look at the bigger picture to give you the most effective treatment.

It’s also a good tip, if you’re ringing around to find a remedial massage therapist is to ask the masseur, “Can you do a Psoas (pronounced so-as) Release?”  A qualified and competent therapist will know straight away what you are referring to.

Psoas Release

A Psoas Release is a technique used to help release tight hip flexor muscles across the front of the hip, to balance the hip and get it back in correct alignment.  This then helps reduce or remove some of the uneven pressures on other muscles in your back and legs.  Without this technique, therapists who only treat the areas you say are sore are often only doing half a job if the hip flexors are part of the problem.

In reality, they may only be treating a symptom of the problem, rather than the probable cause as well.

Health care costs enough without having to make repeated visits for problems which often can be fixed or greatly relieved quickly when a Psoas release is included in the treatment.  I believe the Psoas is such an important muscle, I release it with every massage I perform.

If you haven’t tried massage therapy for a bad back or that pain in your hips, make a call today.  Make an appointment and experience the many benefits that massage has to offer. With any massage however, it’s advisable to wear comfortable underwear that’s not too tight.

Back pain could be caused simply by muscle imbalances or by more complex issues related to disc and vertebral, spinal cord, facet joint, ligament, vascular, dural, inflammation and spinal canal problems.

There are many aspects of back pain I know little about but I do know there are many people suffering occasional or ongoing back pain who would find a remedial massage is all they need to greatly relieve their problem.

If muscle-related problems are the cause, which is often the case, massage treatments are relatively simple but very effective.

Many people put up with ongoing back pain rather than seeking help because they assume surgery or constant use of pain killing drugs are the only ways to find relief, and they don’t want to be cut open or become addicted to drugs.

Surgery may be necessary as a last resort, but it is certainly worth trying one or a few non-invasive, drug free remedial massages first to see if they offer a solution.

Sometimes just talking to a qualified, competent therapist who can explain aspects you never even considered about the interaction and effect of a range of muscles and how they influence back pain brings mental relief in itself.

Even where the original cause of the pain can be traced to, say, disc problems from wear and tear or an accident or injury, muscular imbalances on the left/right and/or front/back of the body can significantly aggravate the situation and cause even more pain.

A remedial massage can usually bring significant relief.

If muscles on one side of the spine are tighter than the other, or tight muscles cause the hip to tilt forward, backward up upwards, they can put undue pressure on inter-vertebral discs and cause even more pain.

A competent masseur would seek to not only balance up the muscles as much as possible but also work on factors making the muscles uneven in the first place.

Tight hip flexor muscles across the front of the hips or weak abdominal muscles often are a significant contributor to lower back pain. Muscle tightness in the chest often leads to pain in the neck, shoulders and mid back.

If you have suffered regular back pain and haven’t done anything about it, or tried other methods without success, give remedial massage a shot. It might not be what you need or a total solution to the problem, but it could be.

A couple of years ago I had a patient (a taxi driver) who had put up with pain for years trying other types of treatments all of which failed. On his first visit he was wearing a brace when he arrived. He left with it tucked under his arm. A couple of sessions over a couple of weeks was all he needed.

The answer to your back problems could be closer than you think.

If you haven’t tried deep tissue massage therapy make a call today.  Arrange an appointment and experience the many benefits that deep tissue massage has to offer.  With any massage however, it’s advisable to wear comfortable underwear that’s not too tight.