05/19/2026
The Psoas is a large, powerful hip flexor that connects from the top of the femur to the lumbar vertebrae, running right through the guts. It can refer a ton of pain to the lower back, especially from sitting for prolonged periods. The pain can feel like a stabbing, chronic low back pain. Sitting shortens this muscle, increasing tension. You've probably felt your Psoas act up after a long car ride or day at your desk. Once you stand after that long sit, the Psoas is forced to lengthen, wrenching on your lower back.
How to solve Psoas muscle pain with 3 steps:
1) Massage/release
- The first step to relieving Psoas muscle pain is releasing the trigger points, knots, stiffness, tension with deep tissue massage. Successful deep tissue release will break up any knots, tightness, and trigger points that contribute to the Psoas muscle pain. This will relieve the constant tension brought on by an angry, painful Psoas muscle and provide quick relief upon successful release.
2) Stretch
- Psoas release via deep tissue massage can resolve the majority of your muscle pain, but stretching is a great way to take it to the next level and solidify lasting relief. Here are a few great Psoas stretches for muscle pain relief:
- Spiderman Stretch
- Upward Dog Yoga Pose
- ATG Split Squat
3) Strength/Glute activation
- This final step is about reactivating the glutes, therefore deactivating the Psoas. The glute muscles and the hip flexors are antagonistic muscles - just like the bicep and tricep. When you activate one side of an antagonist muscle pair, the other relaxes and turns off. To picture this easily with the bicep/tricep analogy, fully contract/flex your tricep and feel your bicep - it is lengthened and at rest. We can accomplish this same feat on the glutes and Psoas muscle pain by activating the glute muscles through a few simple exercises:
- Glute Bridges/Hip Thrusts
- Glute Kickback
- Fire Hydrants