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.
Ben Benjamin, PhD
Dr. Ben E. Benjamin holds a doctorate in education and sports medicine, and is the founder of the Muscular Therapy Institute. He resides in Cambridge, Mass., and can be reached with questions or comments regarding this article at 4bz@mtti.com.