Massage & Bodywork

November/December 2009

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ViSiT ThE digiTal EdiTion aT MaSSagEandbodyworK.coM To ViEw a VidEo cliP dEMonSTraTing ThiS TEchniquE. Imbalances between these pelvic postural muscles are common, creating pain and dysfunction in the core of the body. The psoas often becomes tight and shortened in people who sit or drive for prolonged periods. Standing upright with a shortened psoas tilts the pelvis forward excessively, compressing the lumbar spine. This posture is called anterior pelvic tilt, which is commonly associated with exaggerated lumbar lordosis and low- back pain. Additionally, psoas has a direct connection to the intervertebral disks of the lumbar spine and creates tension on these structures when shortened or excessively tone. Shortness in the psoas is identified by excessive arch in the low back and turned out hips when lying supine. PALPATING PSOAS Positioning: client supine with hip and knee flexed 1. Standing at the client's side, facing the abdomen, locate the anterior iliac crest with your fingertips. Use both hands as you will be palpating deeply. 2. Slide your fingertips superiorly, medially, and deeply toward the lateral vertebral bodies of the lumbar spine. (Caution: the abdominal aorta is located in this region. To avoid compressing this structure, be sure and palpate from lateral to medial.) 3. Allow your fingers to gently sink onto the oblique fibers of the psoas, strumming them back and forth to identify the tube-shaped muscle. 4. Client resists flexion of the hip gently to assure proper location. practitioner, certified athletic trainer, and certified strength and conditioning specialist. Her private practice focuses on injury treatment, biomechanical analysis, craniosacral therapy, and massage for clients with neurological issues. She is the author of Functional Anatomy: Kinesiology and Palpation for Manual Therapists (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009). Contact her at functionalbook@hotmail.com. Christy Cael is a licensed massage Client Homework— Warrior 1 Pose 1. Stand up straight and place one foot in a straight line in front of the other, keeping feet a comfortable width apart (about 3–4 feet). 2. Keep your front foot pointed forward and turn your back foot to a 45° angle. 3. Exhale and slowly bend your front knee to a 90° angle as you reach up with both your arms. Keep your tailbone tucked down and under to avoid arching the low back. Palms should be facing each other. 4. Take several deep breaths as you continue reaching up and lengthening the spine. Focus your stretch on the front of the hip and spine of your back leg. 5. Modify this stretch by kneeling on the back leg, tucking the tailbone, and reaching up with both arms. The Client Homework element in Functional Anatomy is intended as a take-home resource for clients experiencing issues with the profiled muscle. The stretches identified in Functional Anatomy should not be performed within massage sessions or progressed by massage therapists, in order to comply with state laws and maintain scope of practice. 96 massage & bodywork november/december 2009

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