Iliacus and Psoas are the large muscles that run down the front of the lumbar spine and pelvis which make up the hip flexor group

The hip flexor group is a large and important muscle that stabilises the lumbar spine and pelvis. In this day and age a lot of people develop hip flexor issues which is why I think it’s important to know a little bit more about them and what you can do to keep them functioning as well as possible!

The hip flexor is actually two muscles that combine in a common tendon over the front of the femur… The fancy name for them is Iliopsoas. Psoas is a big long muscle that starts right up at the diaphragm and at T12/L1 through the spine. It runs right down the front of the lumbar spine where it combines with the smaller muscle Iliacus, which sits in front of the hip bone. Psoas works as a trunk flexor and Iliacus works as a hip flexor. Together they work as a very powerful muscle group for helping to stabilise the lumbar spine and pelvis.

That’s what they do when they are happy and working well but in a lot of the population this is not the case! With our modern lifestyles demanding so much time spent sitting and bending forward these two muscles quickly become very short and tight. People who are most likely to suffer from hip flexor issues are people who have to sit for long periods of time, people in jobs requiring a lot of bending and twisting, runners and cyclists as well as hockey, cricket and tennis players.

Common symptoms associated with Hip Flexor Dysfunction

– Hip and groin pain

– Low back pain

– Sacroiliac joint pain

– Decreased lumbar and hip range of motion