Back pain? Blame the psoas. Seems as if everybody wants to dive headfirst into their psoas at the first sign of trouble with the lumbopelvic-hip region. Perhaps no other muscle is blamed more for causing problems than the psoas. Yes, it is an important stabilizer of the lumbar spine, but it shouldn't be the only one on which you focus. There is another big player on the scene: the iliacus.
Correction
The August 6, 2000 graph "Death by NSAIDs" incorrectly stated that acetaminophen is classified as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. While acetaminophen has been linked to liver damage and kidney failure, it lacks anti-inflammatory activity and is not classified as an NSAID. We apologize for any misunderstanding this may have caused.