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The iliopsoas muscle is a key postural muscle that is made up of two muscles: the iliacus and the psoas major. As the iliopsoas is located deep in the body, it can be difficult to know where this muscle is and how it relates to other muscles and bones. Palpating the iliopsoas (touching it to gather information) can be a helpful way to understand its location. To palpate the iliopsoas, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, then let your legs relax and roll outwards, bending your knees slightly. Fold forward at the hips, relaxing your abdomen, and bring your hands to your hip points. Curl your fingers around these hip points and let them sink in. Move your fingers towards your spine, lifting one leg. You should feel a distinct band of tissue—this is the psoas major.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Iliopsoas muscles | Iliacus and psoas major |
| Iliacus | Deep hip flexor found along the inside of the ilium |
| Psoas major | A key core muscle that runs along the lumbar spine and continues over the front of the hip joint |
| Palpating technique | Sit on the floor with legs straight out, relaxed, and rolled outwards with a slight bend in the knees |
| Fold forward at the hips and relax the abdomen | |
| Locate hip points (anterior superior iliac spine or ASIS) and curl fingers around them towards the inside of the pelvic bowl | |
| Move fingers towards the spine and lift one leg to feel the psoas major | |
| Press deeper during the client's exhalations to reduce discomfort | |
| Look for a vertically-oriented, tube-like structure that is denser than surrounding soft tissue | |
| Psoas palpation accuracy test | The psoas is the only abdominal structure that contracts with hip flexion |
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What You'll Learn
Seated position with legs straight and relaxed
This position is ideal for individuals who cannot get up from a supine position or easily flex their hip. The patient should be seated with their legs straight and relaxed, feet pointed upwards. The examiner should be positioned at the side of the patient, sitting or kneeling. The examiner's hand should be placed on the patient's thigh, just superior to the patella, with the fingers pointing towards the patient's head. The psoas muscle is located by palpating deeply and drawing small circles with the fingers. The muscle will be found along the path of the fingers as they move superiorly and medially towards the inguinal ligament.
The examiner should explain what they are doing and provide reassurance throughout the process. It is important to communicate and ensure the patient is comfortable and their legs are relaxed. The patient should be asked to report any sensations or discomfort during the examination.
This technique can be used unilaterally or bilaterally, depending on the patient's presentation and comfort level. It is important to note that the psoas muscle is located deep within the abdominal cavity, so a deep palpation is required. However, the examiner should be cautious and gentle to avoid causing any discomfort or pain to the patient.
By palpating the psoas muscle in this manner, it is possible to assess its tone, tenderness, and any abnormalities, which can provide valuable information for diagnosis and treatment planning.
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Curl fingers around hip points
To palpate the iliopsoas muscle, start by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Let your legs relax and roll outwards, allowing a slight bend in the knees. Fold your torso forward at the hips slightly and relax your abdomen. Bring your hands to your hip points—the bony protrusions on the front of your pelvis, known anatomically as the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS).
Now, curl your fingers around these hip points, moving toward the inside of the pelvic bowl. Allow your fingers to sink in about an inch. Keep your fingers at this depth, but change their direction toward the spine. At this point, you should be able to feel a distinct band of tissue pushing up into your fingers. This is the psoas major, one of the two muscles that make up the iliopsoas.
The iliopsoas is a crucial postural muscle, and its activity can be subtle and challenging to detect. Palpation, or the technical term for touch, is a valuable way to understand the location of this deep muscle. Massage therapists, osteopaths, physical therapists, and chiropractors commonly use palpation in their practices.
By following these steps and curling your fingers around the hip points, you can effectively palpate the psoas major portion of the iliopsoas muscle. This technique can enhance your understanding of the muscle's location and its relationship to other structures in the body.
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Move fingers towards the spine
To palpate the iliopsoas muscle, start by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Let your legs relax and roll outwards, allowing a slight bend in the knees. Fold your torso forward at the hips, relaxing your abdomen. Bring each hand to your hip points—the bony protrusions on the front of your pelvis, known as the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS). Curl your fingers around these hip points and direct them towards the inside of the pelvic bowl, allowing them to sink in about an inch.
Now, keep your fingers at this depth in the tissue but change their direction towards the spine. This adjustment in finger direction is crucial for palpating the psoas major, one of the two muscles that comprise the iliopsoas. As you do so, lift one leg, and you should feel a distinct band of tissue pushing up into your fingers. This sensation confirms that you have successfully located the psoas major.
Palpating the iliopsoas muscle can enhance your understanding of its location and function in the body. The iliopsoas is a key postural muscle, and its activity can sometimes be subtle and challenging to detect. By palpating it, you can gain a felt sense of its position deep within the body, improving your spatial awareness of this core muscle in relation to other muscles and bony structures.
Remember to maintain the same depth with your fingers while changing their direction towards the spine. This consistency in depth ensures that you accurately identify the psoas major, which runs along the lumbar spine and joins with the iliacus muscle to attach to the lesser trochanter of the femur. By palpating the iliopsoas, you can develop a better understanding of its role in movement and posture.
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Press deeper during exhalation
Palpation is a technical term for touch, specifically touch with the purpose of gathering information. It is used by professionals such as massage therapists, osteopaths, physical therapists, and chiropractors. The psoas muscle is a deep muscle, lying behind the abdominal muscles and viscera. It is the only structure in the abdomen that contracts with hip flexion.
When palpating the psoas muscle, it is important to press deeper during exhalation. This aids in reducing the discomfort of depressing into the abdominal contents and stretching the skin. By adjusting the skin on the fingertips to reduce tension and pressing deeper during exhalation, you can follow the belly down during breathing, making the technique more comfortable. This also reduces the risk of inaccurately pressing into the abdominal viscera, which can be unsafe.
To palpate the psoas muscle effectively, start by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Let your legs relax and roll outwards, allowing a slight bend in the knees. Fold forward at the hips slightly and relax your abdomen. Locate your hip points, which are the bony protrusions on the front of your pelvis, known as the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS). Curl your fingers around these hip points towards the inside of the pelvic bowl, allowing them to sink in about an inch. Keep your fingers at this depth, but change their direction towards the spine.
Now, lift one leg. You should feel a distinct band of tissue pushing up into your fingers. This is the psoas major muscle. The psoas muscle is key for core stability, running along the lumbar spine and continuing over the front of the hip joint before joining with the iliacus muscle to attach to the lesser trochanter of the femur.
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Confirm accuracy with a simple test
The psoas is the only structure in the abdomen that contracts with hip flexion. This is an easy and effective method for testing the accuracy of psoas palpation. The psoas is a deep muscle, lying behind the abdominal muscles and viscera. It originates on the lumbar spine and inserts into the lesser trochanter. The belly of the muscle is likely deep and/or medial to the semilunar lines.
To locate the psoas, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Let your legs relax and roll outwards, allowing a slight bend in the knees. Fold forward at the hips slightly and relax your abdomen. Find your hip points with your hands—these are the bony protrusions on the front of your pelvis, known as the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS). Curl your fingers around these hip points towards the inside of the pelvic bowl and let them sink in about an inch. Keep your fingers at this depth, but change their direction towards the spine. Now, lift one leg. You should feel a distinct band of tissue pushing up into your fingers—this is the psoas major.
Palpation, or the technical term for touch, is used by many professionals, including massage therapists, osteopaths, physical therapists, and chiropractors. It can be challenging to visualise the psoas muscle and how it relates to other muscles and bony structures due to its deep location in the body. Therefore, palpation, or the sense of touch, can be a valuable tool for understanding the muscle's location and function.
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Frequently asked questions
Palpation is a technical term for touch. It is defined as touching with the purpose of gathering information. Professionals such as massage therapists, osteopaths, and physical therapists use palpation in their work.
The psoas is a deep muscle that lies behind the abdominal muscles and viscera. It originates on the lumbar spine and inserts into the lesser trochanter.
To palpate the psoas muscle, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Let your legs relax and roll outwards, allowing a slight bend in your knees. Fold forward at the hips and relax your abdomen. Bring each hand to find your hip points, the bony protrusions on the front of your pelvis, known as the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS). Curl your fingers around the hip points toward the inside of the pelvic bowl and sink them in about an inch. Move your fingers toward your spine, keeping them at the same depth in your tissue. You should feel a distinct band of tissue pushing up into your fingers, which is the psoas major.
