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.
Daniel J. Murphy, DC, DABCO
Dr. Dan Murphy is a 1978 graduate of Western States Chiropractic College (now the University of Western States) and diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Orthopedics. He has taught more than 1,500 continuing-education classes on various topics including clinical nutrition, biomechanics, soft-tissue injury and repair, and the management of spine and spine-related conditions; and is a contributing author on several books, including Motor Vehicle Collision Injuries and Pediatric Chiropractic.