Hi everyone
I've had lots of requests for a description of a psoas release technique
which I shall endeavour to provide: please try it - it works! - it's not
painful for the patient which is a real boon. It's called the frog technique
for reasons which will become obvious.
Patient lies in crook lying position. Since I'm right handed I tend to stand
on the patient's right. First explain to the patient what you are going to
do and if appropriate drape a towel over the pelvis. Rehearse with the
patient what he will be doing: ie he will draw his legs up and put the soles
of his feet together so that he is resting the lateral borders of the feet
on the bed and the knees drop out into a frog-like position. At your
instruction he will slowly slide the legs back down the bed keeping the
soles together until the last possible moment. You in the meantime will have
a hand under his sacrum and will be exerting a traction force on it.
Once the patient has practiced the leg movements and you have ascertained
that it causes no pain, you can procede with the technique. Ask the patient
to lift his backside off the bed, knees slightly apart. Slide your hand
between his legs and under him so that you cup the sacrum in your hand - you
will find that you need to go a little higher up than you expect so that you
are actually cupping the most prominent part of the bone with the heel of
your hand.
Ask the patient to relax his weight back down onto you, then adopt the knees
out / soles together position. You traction the lumbosacral area by leaning
away from the patient (use your body weight not your biceps) and give him
the go-ahead to start straightening his legs. Exert traction all the way
down.
Repeat x3
Then palpate the psoas again.....it will be like jelly!
If you wish to mobilise an iliolumbar ligament or to stretch out a scoliotic
back you can adapt this technique beautifully ....
Hope this makes sense
Sophie Dhenin
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