bad back pain from iliopsoas

[James Rios]

so for quite a while now ive been having some really bad low back pain. not normal pain either, pain is similar to muscle soreness but i cant seem to find a comfortable position at all.
at first i was afraid i had screwed up my lumbar area in some way.
However, due to the fact that all the pain is confined to the origins of the Iliacus and Psoas-
seen here
http://preventdisease.com/home/muscleatlas/201.jpg
wfs
-i am just about positive that inflammation and tightness in these muscles is the source of my problems.
after consulting my Applied Kines. book i found a few ways to stretch it out, which did WONDERS for the pain.

however my questions are this.

1. is this common?

2. what the heck can i do to get it to stop!
i know for a fact that its holding me back. i do my own programing, and as such have mentally had to start making sure i still include exercises that may aggravate this pain.
exercises that seem to aggravate it the worst:
Burpees
Pushups
Lunges
Steep Grade runs
all of these greatly involve hip flexors, whether as a stabilizer or main mover.

[Jason L. Jones]

Hey James,
I've had a similar problem before that I fixed with stretches prescribed to me by a chiropractor. Whenever I take too much time off from the stretches the pain comes back. The explaination that was given to me by the chiropractor was that it was caused from sitting too much or short motions like from sitting to standing. Which with my job is exactly what I do all day. Seems the muscle like to shorten (physically) and stretching is obviously the only way to lengthen it back out.

For stretching I kneel on one knee and lean forward so that I get a pull in the hip flexor of the kneeling leg. After that loosens I will put my opposite hand across the raised knee and twist, the twisting gets the psoas involved.

[Brian Strump]

Originally Posted by Jason L. Jones

Hey James,
I've had a similar problem before that I fixed with stretches prescribed to me by a chiropractor. Whenever I take too much time off from the stretches the pain comes back. The explaination that was given to me by the chiropractor was that it was caused from sitting too much or short motions like from sitting to standing. Which with my job is exactly what I do all day. Seems the muscle like to shorten (physically) and stretching is obviously the only way to lengthen it back out.

For stretching I kneel on one knee and lean forward so that I get a pull in the hip flexor of the kneeling leg. After that loosens I will put my opposite hand across the raised knee and twist, the twisting gets the psoas involved.

Like this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwToKziL5A4 (wfs)

[James Rios]

yeah, im a student. so i sit all day too!!
totally makes sense, because it also flares whenever i go on LONG car rides (8+hrs)
i will stretch away. thanks man

[Jason L. Jones]

The youtube posting is exactly the stretch I start with (only I don't use the wall or the short shorts). Based on the vid, I would then place the back of my right hand on the outside of my left knee and twist with the stretch. I would normally have my left hand behind me, either assisting by pushing on my hip or floating.

[Steven Low]

This article may help you out:

wfs
http://www.eatmoveimprove.com/2009/1...-dysfunctions/

Basically, covering the ways modern living has given rise to a lot of the dysfunctins including tight hip flexors... and ways to fix them (sections 3&4).