Millions of people worldwide experience low back pain. Most people assume that the issue is in their spine or joints, yet the issue may be more deeply rooted. It sounds unlikely, but the cause of your woe may be the psoas, a deep-lying muscle of your core.
It is a muscle that links your spine with your legs and contributes greatly to movement. When tight or torn, it may tug on the back and leave you in dire pain. At Total Pain Specialist Clinic, we use advanced diagnostic methods, paired with our minimally invasive procedures, to assist in determining the actual cause of your back pain. But before treatment, you first need to understand the cause, so let’s find out.
What Is the Psoas Muscle?
The psoas is a muscle located deep (i.e., near your backbone) and extending down to your thighbone. It is composed of two muscles, which cooperate to facilitate you to walk, running, and standing upright. The majority of the population is unaware of the existence of this muscle until it begins to cause trouble.
This muscle is anchored to all discs in the lower back. Once it becomes tight, it may drag your spine out of alignment and cause pressure in your spinal joints. The psoas also influences your body posture and form of movement, which is the reason that issues in this region can extend to other regions. Our specialists at our pain clinic know how this deep-lying muscle can influence the whole back.
How a Tight Psoas Causes Back Pain
The tightness or inflammation of this psoas muscle may cause it to pull your lower spine in a painful manner. These points of muscle attachment then form some tension that influences your spinal alignment. This pulling may seem like a piercing ache or rigidity in your lower back.
The nerves may also become compressed on their way through the area by the psoas. Such a compression could cause numbness, prickling, or even cause what feels like sciatica, a tingling sensation in your leg. Your pain can become more intense when you are sitting or attempting to straighten after being stuck in a bent-forward position.
Common Causes of Psoas Problems
Sitting for long hours is a common cause of psoas tightness. When you sit, this muscle stays shortened for extended periods. Over time, it can get stuck in this position and refuse to lengthen properly when you stand up.
Heavy lifting with poor form can also strain the psoas muscle. Athletes who do a lot of running or jumping may develop problems from overuse. Other risk factors include previous injuries, poor posture, and sudden increases in activity levels. Age-related changes can also make this muscle more prone to problems. At Total Pain Specialist Clinic, we help identify what’s causing your specific psoas issues.
Signs Your Psoas Might Be the Problem
The psoas pain that results in back pain is not usually experienced normally, like other back pains. You may experience severe pain around your lower back, which increases when you are seated or lying. The pain could even extend to your hip or groin region.
Another symptom which is common is stiffness in the morning or after sitting. It may be difficult to get up straight at once. There is also a feeling of weakness in the legs or an inability to raise the knees high in some people. When combined with back pain, your psoas may be the cause of such symptoms. With our diagnosis, our specialists can ascertain whether this muscle is the source of your pain.
How We Diagnose Psoas-Related Pain
Detecting psoas issues through a thorough examination needs the help of a pain specialist. Muscle tightness and trigger points may be identified by the use of physical tests. Your strength in movement, muscle flexibility, and posture will be assessed to give us the whole picture.
Imaging, such as X-ray or MRI, may sometimes be required to eliminate other conditions, such as herniated discs or spine problems. They could also indicate the state of your bones and reveal any issues you might have, such as osteoporosis, as part of the problem that is causing your pain. At our pain clinic, we apply extensive diagnostic processes that lead us to establish the precise origin of your extreme pain.
Treatment Options for Psoas-Related Back Pain
Stretching and strengthening exercises can form the start of psoas problems treatment. Depending on the joint affected, physical therapy may equip you with particular motions to promote relief of tension and enhanced flexibility. Relief in the form of trigger point injections may also be helpful to relieve the tight areas of the muscle.
To address more chronic cases, we could prescribe less invasive procedures, such as neuromodulation. These advanced treatments will be capable of interrupting pain signals and offer longer-lasting relief. In other cases, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) can also help. These advanced treatments, which we offer at Total Pain Specialist Clinic, prevent surgical intervention to enable you to resume your normal life.
Prevention and Self-Care Tips
In order to prevent psoas issues, the emphasis should be put on posture and the routine of the movement. Whenever you sit to do work, stand upright and stretch after every hour. This muscle can become tight, but it can be prevented with simple hip flexor stretching.
Exercise is necessary to maintain, strengthen, and stretch. Train high-stability work and exercises that activate your hips in their complete range of movement. Do not increase the level of activity abruptly and never exercise without warming up. At Total Pain Specialist Clinic, we provide personalised exercise recommendations to help prevent future problems.
Final Thoughts
Your psoas muscle could be the hidden cause of your chronic back pain. This deep muscle affects your posture, movement, and spinal alignment in ways that aren’t always obvious. Identifying psoas involvement requires proper evaluation by a pain specialist.
At Total Pain Specialist Clinic, we focus on identifying the source of your pain and providing minimally invasive solutions to help you live comfortably. Our treatments include procedures like trigger point injections and nerve blocks. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with our experienced pain specialists.
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