Back pain comes in many forms – sharp stabs, dull aches, or persistent throbs. The natural assumption is that something in the back has gone wrong.
Maybe it’s your posture. Maybe it’s a strained muscle. But for a growing number of experts, the real culprit lies somewhere you’d never expect: your hip flexors.
Specifically, a muscle called the psoas. It’s buried deep inside your core, linking your lumbar spine to your legs, playing a key role in everyday movement.
If this muscle becomes tight or weak, it can tug on your spine and pelvis, leading to back pain that doesn’t feel muscular – but actually is.
Modern life is silently ruining this vital muscle
Modern life is a psoas nightmare. Hours spent sitting at desks, in cars, or on the couch slowly shorten and stiffen this muscle.
And when the psoas tightens, it pulls on the lower spine, disrupting your posture and causing pain that feels like it’s coming from your back – when it’s actually not.
Because the psoas connects to both the diaphragm and the legs, it also affects your breathing and balance.
Over time, this tension can radiate across the hips, groin, and even into the abdomen. And most people have no idea it’s happening.
How to relieve the pain
So how do you know if your psoas is the problem? A deep ache near the crease between your back and buttocks, especially after long periods of sitting, is a common sign.
The fix starts with mobility: gentle stretches, foam rolling, and targeted exercises can begin to release the tension and rebuild strength.
Try lunges, standing leg lifts, or yoga poses like cat/cow. Don’t just swap your office chair for standing – what your body really needs is movement.
And be mindful of how you sleep. Side-sleeping after a sedentary day can keep the psoas locked in a shortened position for nearly 18 hours.
In the end, relief isn’t just about stretching one muscle – it’s about giving your entire body a chance to move, breathe, and recover.
This article is based on information from National Geographic.