January 15, 2026 • 13 mins
The iliopsoas complex is one of the most influential deep muscle groups in the body, and in this episode of Science Behind Massage we explore how it shapes posture, movement, and contributes to lower-back pain.For online massage courses : https://jointheflow.weebly.com/our-courses.htmlAmazon book series: https://amzn.to/4lalOGkLet's connect: https://www.instagram.com/flowathensJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwF_n9Vs-YtxEj5TRx7dwQ/joinI cover the psoas major, psoas minor, and iliacus, explain why iliopsoas muscle pain occurs so often, and show how the iliopsoas bursa and surrounding fascia can create tension that affects the lower back, hips, and pelvis. As the primary hip flexors, these muscles are essential for lifting the thigh, stabilizing the pelvis, and maintaining everyday movement.We also go over the difference between an effective iliopsoas stretch and situations where the muscle is already overstretched and needs strengthening instead. I address the popular “muscle of the soul” idea, explaining what’s myth and what anatomy actually supports.What you’ll get from this video:- A science-based understanding of the iliopsoas complex and its role in lower-back pain- Clear explanation of psoas major and psoas minor function in hip flexion- Insight into how the iliopsoas bursa and fascia contribute to discomfort in the lower back, hips, and pelvis- Practical guidance on iliopsoas muscle stretch techniques and when strengthening is better- Clarity on the “muscle of the soul” myth versus anatomical reality- Tips you can apply in massage, bodywork, or personal mobility routinesIf this episode helped you, please subscribe, hit the like button, and share with colleagues. CHAPTERS00:00 Meet the Iliopsoas complex01:11 Anatomy of the iliopsoas complex03:27 Function of the iliopsoas complex06:10 Comparison with scalene muscles07:12 Psoas and sitting09:04 Pathologies10:08 Psoas and Thai Massage10:53 Is psoas the muscle of the soul?12:59 More of me!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Have you ever wondered while sitting at your desk all
day makes your lower bag like it's staging a rebellion. Well,
I'm a lefteria, and today we're going to talk about
a group of muscles that might just be the culprit
behind that nugging discomfort. The illiopsaws complex doesn't get nearly
as much attention as the biceps or aps, but trust me,
(00:22):
after teaching Masso's therapy since two thousand and four and
working with countless clients, I can tell you that this
muscle group deserves its moments in the spotlight. No, the
illiopsaws complex isn't just one muscle, it's actually three muscles
working together like a well coordinated team. You've got the
sauce major, thesauce miner, and the iliacus together they form
(00:47):
what we call the illiopsaws complex, and they are responsible
for some pretty crucial movements in your daily life. Every
time you lift your knee to climb stairs, get out
of bed, or even just walk down the street, you're
using these muscles. They are the primary ship FlexOS, which
means they bring your thight towards your Torso think about
(01:08):
kicking a ball or doing a seat up, yep, that
your iliops as complex at work. Let me get into
the nitty gritty of anagomy here, but I promise to
keep it understandable. The psaus major is shipped like a spindle,
and it starts waigh up in your lower bag. Specifically,
it attaches to the sides and front surfaces of your
(01:29):
first four loumbar vertebrae, which are those bones stacked up
your lower spine.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
It also grabs onto the last.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Perarchic vertebraa, which is right where your rib cage ends.
Imagine these muscle fibers running downward alongside your spine, parallel
to those vertebrae, making their way into the bowl shaped
area inside your sheep bone called the iliacthossa. The bundles
of epsoas major meet up with the iliacus muscle there,
(02:00):
and together they pass underneath a ligament in your growing
area called the inguinal ligament.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Finally, they are.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Attached to a small bomb on your thigh bone called
the lesser troken therb. Interestingly, the right sauce major is
usually a big bigger than the left one. The psaus
minor is a smaller player in this game. It seems
in front of the sauce major and it runs from
the last parachic vertebrae to the first lumbar vertebral. Here's
(02:29):
the thing, though not everyone has this muscle, only about
sixty to sixty five percent of people do. When it's present,
it connects with the iliac fassia and helps support the
action of the iliopsaus. It attached to a bony prominence
called the iliopectinal eminence that's in about ninety percent of
people who have it. The iliacus muscle is fun shaped
(02:52):
and starts from the upper two thirds of the iliac fossa,
which is that smooth, concave inner surface of your.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Hip plus some parts of your sacrew.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Its fibers merge with the psaus major tendon and both
pass under that inguinal ligament I mentioned earlier, right in
front of your hip joint before attaching to the lesser trochander.
There are even some tiny fibers called the infratocanteric muscle
that lay alongside the iliacus, giving it a broader connection
(03:23):
to the heap bone. So what do these muscles actually do.
Their main job is hip flexion, bringing your thigh up
towards your chest, but the psauus major also helps with
later reflexion of your spine, which means bending your torso
sideways when you are standing on one leg. The iliopsoize
on that side helps tabilazier pelvis and lower spine. The
(03:48):
innervation comes from the lumbar plexus, specifically branches from L
one to L four for the psoas major and the
femoral nerve for the iliacus. That means the messages your
brain sense to move these muscles to open the specific
nerve pathways originating from your lower spine. I still remember
(04:10):
this client I had a few years back. She came
to me with chronic lower back pain that had been
bothering here for years. She worked one of these typical
office jobs where she'd sit for eight, nine, sometimes ten
hours a day. During our consultation, she mentioned that her
pain was worse when she tried to stand up sitting
(04:31):
for a while, or when she tried to do.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Any kind of exercise.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
After assessing her, I could feel how tight and contracted
her ellipsos was. We did the time as a session
of course that included specific stretches for a illiops as
complex and you should have seen her face.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Afterward.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
She said it was like someone had finally released a
vist grip on her lower back. That's when I really
understood just how much these muscles can affect someone's quality
of life. Here's when things get really fascinating. The illiopsaus
complex isn't just floating around your body doing its own thing.
(05:11):
It's intimately connected to your fascia, which is that weblike
connective tissue that drops around and through all your muscles
and organs.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Think of fascia as the.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Body's internal architecture, like the framework of a building. The
illiopsawus has fascil connections that reach all the way up
your diaphragm, which is your main breathing muscle. This means
tension in your illiops saw us can actually affect.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
How you breathe. Picture a taw rope pulling on the tent.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
If one section of rope is too tight, it distorts
the entire structure. The fascial connections of the illiopsaw us
extend to the pelvic floor, the lower back muscles, and
even influence the position and function of your intenal organs.
So when you treat the illiopsaus in mascles or bodygork.
(06:03):
You're not just working on isolated muscles. You're affecting an
entire network of tissue that communicates throughout your body. It's
like pulling on one thread in the sweater and watching
the ripples spread across the fabric. The clinical significance of
the illiopsaus cannot be overstated, especially when we talk about
(06:23):
lower back pain. Here's something most people don't realize. When
you're sitting, your illiopsaus is actually contracted and working to
some degree.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
It's not fully relaxed.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
So if you're sitting for hours every day, year after year,
that muscle is constantly in a shortened, contracted position. Over
time it adapts to that length and becomes tied. Then
when you stand up or try to extend your heap,
that shortened muscle put on your lower spine, creating compression
(06:56):
and discomfort.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
This is where the story gets really interesting.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
From an evolutionary perspective, our distance ancestors like Neadredals did
really suffer from lower back pain than when we do today.
Studies of the eskeletal remained show virtually no evidence of
that degenerative changes we associated with chronic back problems. You know,
when that change when we invented chairs. Before that, she unsquatted, knelt,
(07:24):
sat on the ground, and moved constantly throughout the day.
The introduction of chairs sitting created a biomechanical challenge. Our
bodies weren't designed for. The illiopsaus wasn't meant to stay
in shortened position for eight hours straight. Oh and by
the way, the chair was first created in ancient Egypt,
(07:45):
and these early two chairs were crafted as thrones built
for pharaohs and high officials. That prolonged seated posture began
shaping how the illiopsauce behaves in modern bodies. So let's
say a few words about the problems that can arise
when this muscle loses its normal balance. Beyond lower back pain,
(08:06):
a tide or dysfunctional illiop saw us can contribute to
hip pain, growing pain, and even issues with your sachoreliac joint.
Some people develop illiopso as b versides, which is an
inflammation of the fluid fluid sac that cushs the muscle
as it passes.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Through the hip joint.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Others might experience a snap in hip syndrome when the
illiopsoas tendaron catches on bony structures, creating a poppin or
snapping sensation. In severe cases, an illiopsos absence can develop,
though that's relatively rare and usually related to infection or
other underlying conditions. Now let's talk about when to stretch
(08:47):
versus strength and the illiopsawus. This is important because not
everyone needs the same approach. If you're someone who sits
a lot and has that typical tide shortened illiop saw us,
stretching is your friend. Exercises like lunges, the cow stretch,
or specific time asas stretches can.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Help lengthen those tissues. But here's the catch.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
If you're someone who does a lot of yoga, especially
styles that emphasize deep stretches and flexibility, you might already
have an overstretched in your sauce. I've worked with yoga
practitioners who have hyperbobile hips and their problem is not tightness,
but rather instability. For them, stretching the illiops saw us
(09:32):
during a time a SAS session will be counterproductive. What
supports them far better is focused time azells, work that
builds steadiness through the tissues. Techniques along the sand lines
help guide the body back into a more organized pattern
of movement. While tirable balls provide warmth and gentle compression,
(09:52):
tie actipression can reinforce that effect by activating points that
support peldic stability and neural I still are control. When
used together, these methods offer a structured way to bring
more integrity into the hip region.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
And speaking of the.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Illiop sauce, I just can't resist addressing some of the
myths floating around there.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
You have probably heard.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
People speak about the sauce as the muscle of the soul,
or claim that releasing it is going to unlock store
trauma and emotional blockages. Some go even further, suggesting that
attention freep sauce will somehow make you wealthy or spiritually enlightened. Look,
I love the sauce muscle as much as the next person,
(10:38):
but let's be real here. There isn't a specific muscle
designated as the soul's residents permit, Your sauce doesn't have
a direct hotline to your bank account either. Now do
I think there can be an emotional component to hold
intention in the body? Absolutely, The mound and body are connected,
(10:59):
and some times releasing physical tension can bring up feelings
or memories.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
But the idea that the.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Sauce is somehow more special or mystical than any other
muscle is a bit of a stretch, if you'll pardon
the pun. It's a wonderful, important muscle that deserves proper
care and attention, but we don't need to turn it
into something magical to appreciate its significance. The truth is
fascinating enough without the woogle overlay. What a hope you're
(11:30):
taking away from all this is that the illiopsaws complex
is a fundamental player and how your body moves and
feels every day. Understanding its anatomy, function and potential for
dysfunction gives you power. Whether you're a masso's therapist working
with clients, or someone dealing with your own body issues,
(11:51):
knowledge about the illiops sauce opens up new possibilities for
treatment and prevention. Pay attention to how much you see
take break to stand and stretch. Consider getting bodywork that
addresses this area, and if you're a practitioner, really take
the time to assess whether your client needs stretching or strengthening,
(12:13):
because that distinction makes all the difference in outcomes. If
you want to learn more about working with the illiopsaus
and other important muscle groups. I'd love to have you
join me for an online massa's class. You can also
become a member of my YouTube channel to get access
to premium content that goes deeper into techniques and applications.
(12:34):
And if you're interested in expanding your knowledge even further,
check out my books on Amazon under my name A
less Tiamanzoru. There's so much more to explore in the
world of massas and wellness. Before I wrap up, make
sure to subscribe to this channel for more videos about masas, techniques, anatomy,
(12:55):
and wellness topics that actually matter for your practice of
your personal health journey. I create content that's grounded in
real experience and back by solid understanding of the body. Hey,
thank you so much for listening. Be healthy and happy always,
Have you ever wondered while sitting at your desk all
day makes your lower bag like it's staging a rebellion. Well,
I'm a lefteria, and today we're going to talk about
a group of muscles that might just be the culprit
behind that nugging discomfort. The illiopsaws complex doesn't get nearly
as much attention as the biceps or aps, but trust me,
(00:22):
after teaching Masso's therapy since two thousand and four and
working with countless clients, I can tell you that this
muscle group deserves its moments in the spotlight. No, the
illiopsaws complex isn't just one muscle, it's actually three muscles
working together like a well coordinated team. You've got the
sauce major, thesauce miner, and the iliacus together they form
(00:47):
what we call the illiopsaws complex, and they are responsible
for some pretty crucial movements in your daily life. Every
time you lift your knee to climb stairs, get out
of bed, or even just walk down the street, you're
using these muscles. They are the primary ship FlexOS, which
means they bring your thight towards your Torso think about
(01:08):
kicking a ball or doing a seat up, yep, that
your iliops as complex at work. Let me get into
the nitty gritty of anagomy here, but I promise to
keep it understandable. The psaus major is shipped like a spindle,
and it starts waigh up in your lower bag. Specifically,
it attaches to the sides and front surfaces of your
(01:29):
first four loumbar vertebrae, which are those bones stacked up
your lower spine.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
It also grabs onto the last.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Perarchic vertebraa, which is right where your rib cage ends.
Imagine these muscle fibers running downward alongside your spine, parallel
to those vertebrae, making their way into the bowl shaped
area inside your sheep bone called the iliacthossa. The bundles
of epsoas major meet up with the iliacus muscle there,
(02:00):
and together they pass underneath a ligament in your growing
area called the inguinal ligament.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Finally, they are.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Attached to a small bomb on your thigh bone called
the lesser troken therb. Interestingly, the right sauce major is
usually a big bigger than the left one. The psaus
minor is a smaller player in this game. It seems
in front of the sauce major and it runs from
the last parachic vertebrae to the first lumbar vertebral. Here's
(02:29):
the thing, though not everyone has this muscle, only about
sixty to sixty five percent of people do. When it's present,
it connects with the iliac fassia and helps support the
action of the iliopsaus. It attached to a bony prominence
called the iliopectinal eminence that's in about ninety percent of
people who have it. The iliacus muscle is fun shaped
(02:52):
and starts from the upper two thirds of the iliac fossa,
which is that smooth, concave inner surface of your.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Hip plus some parts of your sacrew.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Its fibers merge with the psaus major tendon and both
pass under that inguinal ligament I mentioned earlier, right in
front of your hip joint before attaching to the lesser trochander.
There are even some tiny fibers called the infratocanteric muscle
that lay alongside the iliacus, giving it a broader connection
(03:23):
to the heap bone. So what do these muscles actually do.
Their main job is hip flexion, bringing your thigh up
towards your chest, but the psauus major also helps with
later reflexion of your spine, which means bending your torso
sideways when you are standing on one leg. The iliopsoize
on that side helps tabilazier pelvis and lower spine. The
(03:48):
innervation comes from the lumbar plexus, specifically branches from L
one to L four for the psoas major and the
femoral nerve for the iliacus. That means the messages your
brain sense to move these muscles to open the specific
nerve pathways originating from your lower spine. I still remember
(04:10):
this client I had a few years back. She came
to me with chronic lower back pain that had been
bothering here for years. She worked one of these typical
office jobs where she'd sit for eight, nine, sometimes ten
hours a day. During our consultation, she mentioned that her
pain was worse when she tried to stand up sitting
(04:31):
for a while, or when she tried to do.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Any kind of exercise.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
After assessing her, I could feel how tight and contracted
her ellipsos was. We did the time as a session
of course that included specific stretches for a illiops as
complex and you should have seen her face.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Afterward.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
She said it was like someone had finally released a
vist grip on her lower back. That's when I really
understood just how much these muscles can affect someone's quality
of life. Here's when things get really fascinating. The illiopsaus
complex isn't just floating around your body doing its own thing.
(05:11):
It's intimately connected to your fascia, which is that weblike
connective tissue that drops around and through all your muscles
and organs.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Think of fascia as the.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Body's internal architecture, like the framework of a building. The
illiopsawus has fascil connections that reach all the way up
your diaphragm, which is your main breathing muscle. This means
tension in your illiops saw us can actually affect.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
How you breathe. Picture a taw rope pulling on the tent.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
If one section of rope is too tight, it distorts
the entire structure. The fascial connections of the illiopsaw us
extend to the pelvic floor, the lower back muscles, and
even influence the position and function of your intenal organs.
So when you treat the illiopsaus in mascles or bodygork.
(06:03):
You're not just working on isolated muscles. You're affecting an
entire network of tissue that communicates throughout your body. It's
like pulling on one thread in the sweater and watching
the ripples spread across the fabric. The clinical significance of
the illiopsaus cannot be overstated, especially when we talk about
(06:23):
lower back pain. Here's something most people don't realize. When
you're sitting, your illiopsaus is actually contracted and working to
some degree.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
It's not fully relaxed.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
So if you're sitting for hours every day, year after year,
that muscle is constantly in a shortened, contracted position. Over
time it adapts to that length and becomes tied. Then
when you stand up or try to extend your heap,
that shortened muscle put on your lower spine, creating compression
(06:56):
and discomfort.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
This is where the story gets really interesting.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
From an evolutionary perspective, our distance ancestors like Neadredals did
really suffer from lower back pain than when we do today.
Studies of the eskeletal remained show virtually no evidence of
that degenerative changes we associated with chronic back problems. You know,
when that change when we invented chairs. Before that, she unsquatted, knelt,
(07:24):
sat on the ground, and moved constantly throughout the day.
The introduction of chairs sitting created a biomechanical challenge. Our
bodies weren't designed for. The illiopsaus wasn't meant to stay
in shortened position for eight hours straight. Oh and by
the way, the chair was first created in ancient Egypt,
(07:45):
and these early two chairs were crafted as thrones built
for pharaohs and high officials. That prolonged seated posture began
shaping how the illiopsauce behaves in modern bodies. So let's
say a few words about the problems that can arise
when this muscle loses its normal balance. Beyond lower back pain,
(08:06):
a tide or dysfunctional illiop saw us can contribute to
hip pain, growing pain, and even issues with your sachoreliac joint.
Some people develop illiopso as b versides, which is an
inflammation of the fluid fluid sac that cushs the muscle
as it passes.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Through the hip joint.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Others might experience a snap in hip syndrome when the
illiopsoas tendaron catches on bony structures, creating a poppin or
snapping sensation. In severe cases, an illiopsos absence can develop,
though that's relatively rare and usually related to infection or
other underlying conditions. Now let's talk about when to stretch
(08:47):
versus strength and the illiopsawus. This is important because not
everyone needs the same approach. If you're someone who sits
a lot and has that typical tide shortened illiop saw us,
stretching is your friend. Exercises like lunges, the cow stretch,
or specific time asas stretches can.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Help lengthen those tissues. But here's the catch.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
If you're someone who does a lot of yoga, especially
styles that emphasize deep stretches and flexibility, you might already
have an overstretched in your sauce. I've worked with yoga
practitioners who have hyperbobile hips and their problem is not tightness,
but rather instability. For them, stretching the illiops saw us
(09:32):
during a time a SAS session will be counterproductive. What
supports them far better is focused time azells, work that
builds steadiness through the tissues. Techniques along the sand lines
help guide the body back into a more organized pattern
of movement. While tirable balls provide warmth and gentle compression,
(09:52):
tie actipression can reinforce that effect by activating points that
support peldic stability and neural I still are control. When
used together, these methods offer a structured way to bring
more integrity into the hip region.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
And speaking of the.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Illiop sauce, I just can't resist addressing some of the
myths floating around there.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
You have probably heard.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
People speak about the sauce as the muscle of the soul,
or claim that releasing it is going to unlock store
trauma and emotional blockages. Some go even further, suggesting that
attention freep sauce will somehow make you wealthy or spiritually enlightened. Look,
I love the sauce muscle as much as the next person,
(10:38):
but let's be real here. There isn't a specific muscle
designated as the soul's residents permit, Your sauce doesn't have
a direct hotline to your bank account either. Now do
I think there can be an emotional component to hold
intention in the body? Absolutely, The mound and body are connected,
(10:59):
and some times releasing physical tension can bring up feelings
or memories.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
But the idea that the.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Sauce is somehow more special or mystical than any other
muscle is a bit of a stretch, if you'll pardon
the pun. It's a wonderful, important muscle that deserves proper
care and attention, but we don't need to turn it
into something magical to appreciate its significance. The truth is
fascinating enough without the woogle overlay. What a hope you're
(11:30):
taking away from all this is that the illiopsaws complex
is a fundamental player and how your body moves and
feels every day. Understanding its anatomy, function and potential for
dysfunction gives you power. Whether you're a masso's therapist working
with clients, or someone dealing with your own body issues,
(11:51):
knowledge about the illiops sauce opens up new possibilities for
treatment and prevention. Pay attention to how much you see
take break to stand and stretch. Consider getting bodywork that
addresses this area, and if you're a practitioner, really take
the time to assess whether your client needs stretching or strengthening,
(12:13):
because that distinction makes all the difference in outcomes. If
you want to learn more about working with the illiopsaus
and other important muscle groups. I'd love to have you
join me for an online massa's class. You can also
become a member of my YouTube channel to get access
to premium content that goes deeper into techniques and applications.
(12:34):
And if you're interested in expanding your knowledge even further,
check out my books on Amazon under my name A
less Tiamanzoru. There's so much more to explore in the
world of massas and wellness. Before I wrap up, make
sure to subscribe to this channel for more videos about masas, techniques, anatomy,
(12:55):
and wellness topics that actually matter for your practice of
your personal health journey. I create content that's grounded in
real experience and back by solid understanding of the body. Hey,
thank you so much for listening. Be healthy and happy always,
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