The Psoas Solution: The Practitioner Guide to Rehabilitation, Corrective Exercise, and Training for Improved Function

459 Pages·2017·11.83 MB·English

by  Evan Oscar

The Psoas Solution
The practitioner’s guide to rehabilitation, corrective exercise, and training
for improved function
Evan Osar
Chichester, England
North Atlantic Books
Berkeley, California
Copyright © 2017 by Evan Osar. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the written permission of the publisher. For
information, contact Lotus Publishing or North Atlantic Books.
First published in 2017 by
Lotus Publishing
Apple Tree Cottage, Inlands Road, Nutbourne, Chichester, PO18 8RJ and
North Atlantic Books
Berkeley, California
All Drawings Amanda Williams, Matt Lambert
Photographs on pages 23, 47, 51, 65, 68, 93, 94, 103, 126, 129, 142, 143, 144, 150, 154, 178, 180, and 196
supplied courtesy of shutterstock. All other photographs supplied by the author unless otherwise indicated.
Cover Design by Medlar Publishing Solutions Pvt Ltd, India
The Psoas Solution: The Practitioner’s Guide to Rehabilitation, Corrective Exercise, and Training for
Improved Function is sponsored and published by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences
(dba North Atlantic Books), an educational nonprofit based in Berkeley, California, that collaborates with
partners to develop cross-cultural perspectives, nurture holistic views of art, science, the humanities, and
healing, and seed personal and global transformation by publishing work on the relationship of body, spirit,
and nature.
North Atlantic Books’ publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, visit our
website at www.northatlanticbooks.com or call 800-733-3000.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 905367 78 8 (Lotus Publishing)
ISBN 978 1 62317 135 3 (North Atlantic Books)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Osar, Evan, 1969– author.
Title: The psoas solution : the practitioner’s guide to rehabilitation, corrective exercise, and training for
improved function / Evan Osar.
Description: Berkeley, California : North Atlantic Books, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017005060 (print) | LCCN 2017005665 (ebook) | ISBN 9781623171353 (pbk.) | ISBN
9781623171353 (ebook) Subjects: | MESH: Physical Therapy Modalities | Psoas Muscles Classification:
LCC QP301 (print) | LCC QP301 (ebook) | NLM WB 460 | DDC 612/.04—c23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017005060
Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter 1
Functional Anatomy of the Psoas
Psoas Attachments
Joint Motion and Centration
Functional Anatomy of the Psoas
Chapter 2
Three-dimensional Breathing
Anatomy of Three-dimensional Breathing
Biomechanics of Three-dimensional Breathing
Pelvic Tilt
Developing Three-dimensional Breathing
Common Breathing Dysfunctions
Chapter 3
Thoracopelvic Cylinder (TPC) Stabilization
Anatomy of the Core
Core Stabilization
Motor Control Training and Corrective Exercise
Happy Baby
Heel Drop
Pull-over
Pull-over with Heel Drop
Modified Dead Bug
Modified Wall Plank
Modified Wall Plank with Hip Flexion
Ball-supported Knee Pull-in
Common Signs of Dysfunction in the Ball-supported Knee Pull-in
Chapter 4
Squat and Deadlifting
Introduction
Improving Hip Extension During Squatting and Deadlifting Patterns
Improving Psoas and Gluteal Function During Squatting and Deadlifting
Patterns
Squat
Split Squat
Split Squat with Elevated Rear Leg
Single Leg Squat
Deadlift
Chapter 5
Lunging
Introduction
Forward Lunge
Reverse Lunge
Additional Lunge Progressions
Chapter 6
Bending
Introduction
Forward Bend
Hip Hinge
Roll-up
Side Bend
Carrying Patterns
Chapter 7
Spine and Hip Extension
Introduction
Prone Lengthen
Backward Bend
Hip Hinge Bridge
Marching Bridge and Single-leg Hip Hinge Bridge
Hip Thruster
Bird-Dog
Side Lying Iso Hip Extension
Stretching the Psoas
Conclusion
Appendices
I: Assessing the Psoas
II: Neutral Alignment and Postural Assessment
III: Suspension
IV: The Pelvic Floor and Its Relationship to the Psoas
V: Psoas’ Role in Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) and Labral Pathologies
of the Hip
VI: Sitting
VII: Corrective Exercise
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
This book is dedicated to all the wonderful individuals who have provided me
with the opportunity to experiment, discover, and most importantly learn. Thank
you for entrusting me with your health.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank:
My publisher Jon—you are a joy to work with and I am blessed to have a
professional relationship with you. Thank you for providing me with the
opportunities, as well as the creative freedom, to write and convey my message.
Gretchen—I don’t think it was your intention to become my coach after
constructively critiquing my first book; this came to be, however, through the
process of helping me organize my many scattered thoughts and ideas and
articulate them in a way that hopefully helps to educate and empower others.
Thank you, Gretchen, for all your guidance, the gentle (and at times not so
gentle) encouragement, and the unyielding support over the past few years. My
writing and teaching are forever changed because of our work together.
My incredibly loving and supportive wife Jenice—you give me the support, you
provide me with a foundation, and every day you challenge me to be the best
that I can be. I am blessed every single day of my life because you are a part of
it.
I believe humility is essential to continued learning and growing. If one regards
oneself as smarter or more knowledgeable than everyone else, one will lack the
incentive to seek out and learn from the smartest people in one’s chosen field. I
want to recognize and thank a few of the many brilliant individuals I have had
the honor of studying with and learning from over the years. These individuals
are some of the true geniuses in the industry, and in learning from them, I am
constantly reminded of the famous quote from Sir Isaac Newton: “If I have seen
further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Although by no means
exhaustive, my list of such individuals includes: Dr. Linda-Joy Lee, Diane Lee,
Shirley Sahrmann, Karel Lewit, Vladimir Janda, Pavel Kolar, and the Prague
School instructors, Dr. Paul Hodges, Gwendolyn Jull, Carol Richardson, Julie
Hides, and Sean Gibbons. Having the opportunity to learn from these individuals
keeps me humble. Their contributions can be seen throughout the book.
Evan Osar
Evan Osar
Preface
If you purchased or were given The Psoas Solution as a gift, you likely fall into
one of two categories:
1. You are a chiropractic physician, medical doctor, physical therapist, fitness
professional, or manual therapist who works with individuals experiencing
low back, pelvis, and/or hip issues that you suspect are related to their psoas.
I hope this resource increases your current base of knowledge and, more
importantly, provides you with some practical information that can assist you
in working with your clients or patients who are experiencing chronic
postural and movement syndromes related to their psoas as well as with those
individuals who want to continue functioning at a high level.
2. You are someone experiencing chronic low back or pelvic or hip problems
and have been told by your chiropractic physician, medical doctor, physical
therapist, fitness professional, or massage therapist that your psoas is the
cause of your issue.
I hope you find this book helpful. However, while I utilize with my own
patients all the techniques and strategies it presents, unfortunately I cannot
guarantee that the solution to your unique issue lies within the covers of this
book. Your health care practitioner can determine whether or not the
information it contains is applicable to your situation. If it is, and if you are
diligent and patient in the process and use the information that is appropriate
to your unique situation, I hope this resource can assist you in developing
more optimal posture and movement habits.
About The Psoas Solution
This book represents a compilation of the information currently available on the
psoas, blended with clinical evidence and integrated with practical applications
of the concepts. It is not intended to provide quick-fix solutions to your own or
your client’s/patient’s postural or movement dysfunctions, or to chronic low
back, pelvis, and/or spine issues. As with life itself, the development of a more