Top 5 Signs you have a tight iliacus 

We're so happy to hear our info has been so beneficial to you!!!

Exactly! I went to the chiropractor once a year and a half ago, explained all my issues and was given a list of stretches you could google. A year and a half and almost no improvement later, istarted recently going back. Finally after months of trying to correct my posture, (since the chiropractor was no help) i discovered I m ‘possibly’ have a tight psoas according to the symptoms. I also saw a picture of a person with a tight left psoas which looked identical to my situation and pretty much confirmed it for me. That was 2 days ago, it took me til just now to realize I definitely also have a tight right iliacus. This is the reason nun of those stretches worked, they woould temporarily work them go right back to the way i was

​@@goldenrackz6932 it sounds just like me 😢 what should one do about it? Massage ??

That’s because most chiros are 🦆🦆🦆🦆

Just posted the same message lol

You're welcome! We hope that you'll have a lot more success improving your issue now that you have a better understanding of what is happening. We have products that can support you with releasing tension in your iliacus and psoas muscles, like the Mark and the Orbit (newly named for the Hip Hook and Hip Release Ball). Check them out on our website and feel free to reach out to us at hello@alethasupport.com with any questions. www.alethahealth.com/

We're so glad that you liked it. You're welcome!

You're welcome! Please feel free to reach out to us at hello@alethasupport.com with any questions. We believe our Hip Hook could help you make improvements with those hip issues. :)

I hv all these signs..& my hip & groin r very painful. My chiropractor never told about this..I discovered about the Poses & n is my Iliacus. Now I'm discovering how to loosen up this area. Its been 4 years & now I limp badly & can't walk much. Thanks u.

@@marthajohann7367 we're glad that you found this video and are understanding how the iliacus may be impacting your body. Have you learned more about our Hip Hook tool that can help release tightness in both your psoas & iliacus? See our website at www.alethahealth.com or reach out to us at hello@alethasupport.com if you have any questions. :)

Did you get it to stop popping? Popping my hip was my relief until I was told not to do that anymore lol working on strengthening now

We're so happy that you found us! Please tell your chiropractor a big THANK YOU for recommending us. We hope that the Mark (Hip Hook) will prove to be the missing piece for your hip pain. Please reach out to us at hello@alethasupport.com if you have any questions once you receive your order. :)

We're happy that you found this helpful! If you have our Hip Hook, you can begin to address the root cause of these issues and release tension in your iliacus and psoas muscles. Let us know if you have any questions. :)

Yay, we're so happy that this video helped. Yes, keep using the Hip Hook and notice the results over time! Please keep us posted on how much you like it. :)

Joseph, WOW!!! This is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. We're super excited you tried out the Hip Hook and over the past month you have noticed such a significant improvement in your back pain. So happy for you! Wishing you continued success. Let us know if there's anything else we can do to support you!!

Yay! Glad it was helpful!

We're so glad that you enjoyed this video! :)

We are happy you find this information valuable! Thank you for your support!

You're welcome!

Thanks for your support! This is the main video we have as it relates to self-assessments. However, you should note that tightness in the iliacus is often accompanied by tightness in the piriformis and other deep hip rotator muscles. So a "positive" test in these might also be an indicator of tightness in those other muscles.

You're welcome! Maybe the Hip Hook would be something you'd consider using to help alleviate this issue and help to begin improving! :)

I was in the same boat, you are not alone my friend. The hip hook is definitely helping but I need to start doing the stretches and strengthening exercises to fix it fully.

We're so happy you found this video and found it helpful! Please keep us posted on how things begin to improve as you work on releasing your hip flexors with the Hip Hook. If you have any specific questions, you can always reach out to us at hello@alethasupport.com and our team is happy to help. :)

@@AlethaHealth will do! I’ll make sure to do an IG post when it arrives here in the UK 😀

Did you ever get like a burning sensation in certain areas of the leg?

@@hereweare9011 No, no burning sensation in the leg for me.

Hi, do you get the hip clunking when you raise your leg up and down especially when your leg is moved inwards?

We are so happy that you discovered this video and are learning about the iliacus. Many people address only the psoas and never touch the iliacus. They are 2 different muscles that, together, create your hip flexor (commonly called the iliopsoas). For the most effective results, you should be treating BOTH of these muscles. That's exactly why we created the Hip Hook, the first muscle release tool designed to address the psoas AND iliacus. Let us know if you have any questions. :)

@@AlethaHealth I am very grateful for all of your work and sharing it with people in severe pain and dysfunction, like me. I had used my hands for doing the release, but then they ended up hurting! My Theracane just isn't quite the right tool, either! Thanks for responding, and I hope to get the hook next month when I have the money. I do have the question, of how do I know which is a trigger point to release vs a lump node or swollen lymph tissue? Is it OK to work on possible lymphoma tissues? I have many swollen lymph nodes in my groin and hips. They show up as white-hot spots on thermograghy scan now. I have had the enlarged lymph nodes since 1980, and I know scar tissue/plaque is also present in them. Some of the lumps are painful and some are not; some are new and some are old. Don't know if it's lymphoma or not. I am a veteran with the usual care of "Lie, deny, and make/let me die". I had first asked for the cancer work-up in 2009 with the VA since it would be service-related, and am still waiting! (Not by them, of course! Just waiting for it to somehow manifest from the Aether!) See why so many veterans just kill themselves when left to suffer and die with no help and healing care?! My husband did the same, so I stay alive to be a pain in the a** to the VA and govt that hates us! I have had chronic Epstein-Barr virus with FM since 1980, from military vaccines and experimental chemotherapy exposure. It also gave me abnormal liver function tests for 23 years before reversing them using alternative therapies. I know from a TCM perspective, the liver is responsible for the energies governing tendons and sinews. That would also add to muscle problems. I have a genetic liver disease as well, called Acute Intermittent Porphyria. Mercury fillings and organophosphate poisoning, have also added to muscle problems! I also did many sports, had four children, did 14 years of back-breaking ICU nursing, and had a car accident, so I am one big mess! All that contributes to the hip pain and dysfunction. So grateful for an answer and relief, FINALLY! May you be blessed abundantly, and I look forward to getting that hook!

@@brendamaggio9189 sorry for the delyaed response here. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot. Because of the complexity of your situation, we suggest reaching out to your practitioner to discuss the use of the Hip Hook and your particular situation. Releasing tightness in your hips could improve your symptoms, but you want to make sure that you’re keeping everything else in mind as as you initiate any new intervention like this.

@@AlethaHealth Thanks for getting back to me, but I do not have a practitioner.

@@brendamaggio9189 okay. That is not something we can comment on. If you are planning to use the Hip Hook, we recommend that you find a doctor and ask them these questions to be sure.

You're welcome! We're happy that you found this video and that it helped you. :)

The most important first step before performing any exercises would be to release the tension in the iliacus. This is achieved by applying pressure directly into the muscle for at least 90 seconds. Our Hip Hook is a great tool to help reach this muscle inside of your pelvis and release it.

Glad it was helpful!

We're glad that you gave this a try! Both sides may be holding some level of tension, but it sounds like the side that had 4 of the 5 signs may have the tighter iliacus.

Thank you for your support! Let's see if we can help clarify this for you here. When the iliacus muscle become tight (often along with the psoas), it can rotate the pelvis forward into an anterior rotation. As a compensation, the femur is now internally rotating relative to the position the pelvis where it inserts into the hip joint. While the psoas and iliacus are hip flexors, they also assist in the external rotation of the femur. When these muscles become tight (also commonly tight alongside the piriformis, another external rotator), they can cause the femur to rotate outward more than it should. This is seen most clearly when lying down in a relaxed position with the legs out. The effects are then seen down the leg all the way to the foot, where that foot appears to turn out more than the other. Does this help at all? :)

We're glad this helped!!

Glad it helped!

Glad it helped!

We're glad this helped you out and we hope that treating your iliacus helps resolve your pain!

Teaching the hip flexors to relax is an important part of the solution. Putting pressure directly on the muscle is the best way to help the muscle relax and soften. You can either see a practitioner for some manual release work, or you can use a self muscle release tool such as the Mark. You can learn more about the Mark on our website at www.alethahealth.com/mark

You're welcome! Glad this video helped.

We have a tool called the Hip Hook, which is the first muscle release tool that allows you to apply pressure to your iliacus muscle on your own. This muscle lines the inside surface of your pelvic bone and is deeper within the pelvis. Acupuncture won't be able to reach the iliacus the same way that the Hip Hook can or a skilled practitioner would using their hands.

Thats interesting. I'd like to have a link if it is available.

@@onetruecalling check it out here! shop.alethahealth.com/products/the-hip-hook

You are very welcome! We're glad our videos are able to help. Let us know if we can do anything else to support you!

We're glad that you found this helpful!

We know you'll love it. Keep us posted on how it goes once you get it and start using it.

How has the hip hooked worked out for your pain?

You're welcome!

You're welcome! Glad that you found this video helpful.

Please reach out to us at hello@alethasupport.com if you have any questions about the products and what issues they've helped other solve. For your specific issue, it is always a good idea to first be assessed by a practitioner to identify the causes and see if releasing tension in the hip flexors is part of the solution.

When they are going through their assessment, ask them specifically about the psoas and iliacus and how tension in these muscles may be impacting the pain you are experiencing. If those muscles are part of the problem, we have some products that are geared towards releasing these areas and may be helpful alongside your PT treatment. Learn more on our website at www.alethahealth.com and reach out with any more questions.

We're so glad it helped!

Yes, tension in the hip flexors can have an impact all the way down the leg.

The Hip Hook is designed to effectively release tightness in the iliacus and psoas muscles! We offer a 60-day moneyback guarantee if you want to try it out :)

@@AlethaHealth Thanks, but will I not need to strengthen the muscle as well? Also, you just confirmed why I've never been able to fix my patellafemoral maltracking - because my tight iliacus is attached to the femur! No physiotherapist has been able to figure it out for me.

@@robk9330 strengthening the hip flexors is a piece of the puzzle. Tight muscles are often weak muscles. For most people, the hip flexors are overused and already holding tension. A muscle that is already tight will have a more difficult time contracting because it is already tired. First, the hip flexors need to be able to relax. Then, strengthening the hip flexors can be more effective. Does this help?

@@AlethaHealth Yes, thank you. I think my muscles may only be weak but not tight because this happened to me from sitting down too much. I never played any sports or anything and my iliacus doesn't feel tight.

@@robk9330 then go ahead and try strengthening the hip flexors and see if that helps. So you are aware, even though you may not necessarily "feel" tight, lots of sitting can cause tension to develop where the muscle remains at least partially contracted in certain areas (think of like a muscle knot). If a muscle is already contracted, it will be harder to strengthen during exercise because it won't be able to contract fully.

All of that can be coming from a tight hip flexor! One that needs help to relax through pressure to help the muscle "release" before you can then effectively stretch or strengthen it or the surrounding muscles. Use the Hip Hook to get into the iliacus and psoas to release that tension, and then notice how much easier it is to move the hip without clunking or pinching, and how much easier it is to use the glutes and hips and core. :)

Hi, thanks for reaching out. We saw your message you left through Facebook and we've responded there. Please check that out. :)

Sorry for the late reply here! But yes, the iliacus is one of your hip flexor muscles that would be constantly working to hold yourself upright in the seated position as you are sitting on a motorcycle. This constant use and squeezing of the muscle could cause it to be irritated a bit and swell up on the inside of the pelvis. This swelling would be some inflammation in the muscle from fatigue and overuse.

You're welcome! :)

Release tension in your iliacus by using the Hip Hook :) which is a tool our founder invented to apply pressure into this hard-to-reach area to relieve this tightness. shop.alethahealth.com/products/the-hip-hook

It is possible that the Hip Hook could help to some degree. While the labrum and other soft tissues deep inside of the hip that "cushion" the joint have been wearing away, the Hip Hook can help release tension in the psoas & iliacus muscles. When tight, these hip flexor muscles further compress the hip joint and restrict movement (and likely contributed to the arthritis to begin with). By releasing tension in the muscles, you may be able to increase your pain-free range of motion of the hips and hopefully allow you to avoid (or at least delay) any kind of hip replacement surgery. We've had other people share they've avoided or delayed the need for hip replacement surgery after they've started using the Hip Hook, and we hope that you can experience similar success! :)

You should still use the Hip Hook on both sides of the pelvis to discover where you are tightest. Because of the single-sided nature of golf, you may find that one side is tighter than the other. In which case, you could spend more time there to help balance your body out. We'd also recommend using our Hip Release Ball on the glutes on each side as well. Does this help?

So glad this helped!

Here is a video showing the supine-to-sit test. The actual test begins around the 3-min mark of the video, but you may find it helpful to watch from the beginning. :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PC6DZcQsiiY.html

It's possible. Tension in the iliacus impacts the alignment of the pelvis and spine, which impacts the arteries and veins and the nerves that supply them. Everything is connected.

Do bridges

Yes!!! Absolutely.

It presses into the psoas with the tip pressing straight up, and works into the iliacus when pressing down on the handle of the tool. See more info in these 2 FAQs. Psoas - aletha.reamaze.com/articles/tips-for-targeting-the-psoas-muscle Iliacus - aletha.reamaze.com/articles/tips-for-targeting-the-iliacus-muscle

What did they tell you? A diagnosis may just be a name for a certain symptom that you are experiencing, not necessarily the actual "cause" of what you are feeling. Adjustments are great and can help align the bones and joints back in place, but if you have tension in your muscles, that has the ability to pull you back out of alignment over time.

Great question, we'd be happy to clarify. The first scenario when standing refers to the orientation of the hip joint relative to the pelvis. A tight iliacus pulls the pelvic bone forward into an anterior rotation, which changes the orientation of the hip joint and makes it go into internal rotation. In the other scenario, because the iliacus acts on the femur as an external rotator, a tight iliacus will cause the leg to rotate outward when lying down. Does this make sense?

Hi there, we do not have any international distributors of the Hip Hook. Everything would be shipped from the US, and we do ship to the UK! The Hip Hook has helped many people out with their SI joint pain, as tightness in the iliacus is a common contributor to this issue.

We have another video that talks about pelvic upslip (or hip hike) that you may find helpful. Releasing the psoas & QL on that side may be beneficial to help the pelvis be more level. See the link below. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PYuEVvL5Pkc.html

The Hip Hook has helped many others in a similar situation post-op and it very well could help you, too. With our 60-day money-back guarantee, it's worth a shot. Not many people end up returning it because the Hip Hook really WORKS! :)

Strengthening alone will not solve this in the best way. This is because tension in the psoas and iliacus inhibits the core and glutes. When you cannot sufficiently recruit those muscles, you will have a very difficult time strengthening them and the issue persists. Releasing tension in the psoas and iliacus before doing those exercises or other stretches will make them significantly more effective because they are no longer playing a game of tug of war with the tense hip flexors. Does this help?

That's a good thing that you don't have any pain at the moment, but is important to consider that these are signs of a potential "issue" that could contribute to pain at some point down the road. Our recommendation would be to take a preventative approach to this and relieve that tension in the muscle so that your hips can move more freely and the mechanics of your leg will improve all the way down to your foot.

Use the Mark (our new and improved Hip Hook). You can learn more on our website at www.alethahealth.com/mark

It would be best to be assessed by a practitioner to help identify what is causing this.

@@AlethaHealth I have a Phys Med doctor I go to. He said it’s my iliopsoas muscle and would need PT to address it.

While it is true that other muscle compensations may begin to happen if you've had a tight iliacus for a long time, it likely wouldn't change the results of "pass" or "fail" for each of these tests. It may even be more likely that you'd fail ALL 5 tests shown in this video the longer that you've had this issue going on.

You're right, you may notice different signs when open or closed chain, standing or lying down, etc. These were just 5 possible (and very common) signs chosen for this video. Tension in the iliacus inhibits the glutes, but they can also develop tension. Since tension in the iliacus pulls the femur into ER, that puts the deep 6 into a position where they also become tight. In our method, we have people treat tension in the hip flexors and deep 6 in the same session. And yes, there may be other tight spots in the rectus femoris or other anterior hip muscles that could be released.

Thanks for reaching out. You should have no issue using the Hip Hook. It would be best to work with a physical therapist or other practitioner to help assess you and determine what role tension and imbalance in the hip flexors is playing in your situation.

Yes, the iliacus and piriformis muscles are commonly tight together and directly influence the alignment and movement of the tailbone, sacrum, and SI joint areas.

The best way to release the iliacus is with our Hip Hook. We have some videos on our website that shows how it is used to address this. www.alethahealth.com/howto/hip-hook

Yes, the Hip Hook address both the psoas and the iliacus muscles. Because the iliacus and psoas are so closely connected, they are very often tight together. We see these muscles as being the primary issue, which then results in the piriformis and other muscles tightening up after the hip flexors. Does this help?

What kinds of doctors have you visited? Have you considered going to see a holistic physical therapist or another holistic practitioner that considers everything that could be impacting your body? Tight hip flexors and other muscles may be impacting this to some degree (which our tools help with), but it would be best to be assessed to see what else could be happening.

Improving strength in the hip extensors and hip internal rotators can absolutely help reduce and prevent tension from developing in the iliacus. However, if the iliacus is super tense to begin with, it pulls the pelvis into an anteriorly tilted position. This pelvic position closes off the space available to move into hip internal rotation and also makes reaching hip extension more challenging, which would make those exercises less effective. By releasing the tension first, you'll be able to better strengthen into internal rotation and extension because the pelvis will be in a good position to let the hip joint move effectively.

Yes, a tight iliopsoas can absolutely impact your walking and running gait. Tightness in the hip flexors can change the orientation of your pelvis and hips, where they don't move as freely and could contribute to compensatory patterns.

@@AlethaHealth wondering if you have any thought/suggestions to my issue. i thought iliacus for sure, but after your vid not sure. my spots are either side of the hips. right in the middle. (actually a touch to the front) if i stick my thumbs in these spots its the same sensation you get when you have a knot in your back and the masseuse sticks their fingers in there. here's the specific thing, only when my knees are up tho. like sitting, in that position these spots are open to touch, if i stand tall, the areas are completely protected to touch. 🤷‍♂

@@mattduncan5500 are you referring to either the TFL or the glute medius muscles?

@@AlethaHealth first of all thanks for the response. very nice of you . and must be the TFL because glutes i know are further back, basically in ya butt. so thats at least some progress. i know the area now

@@mattduncan5500 you're welcome. Linked below is a video of ours related to releasing the TFL. Start with this and see how that helps. We recommend still trying to get into the psoas and iliacus muscles, as tension in them often contributes to tightness in the TFL. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PNQIVLyerZg.html

To improve the popping in the hips, you can try releasing the hip flexors and follow that up with some strengthening and stretching exercises for the hip flexors as well. The iliacus and psoas muscles need to be able to contract and relax effectively for the hip to move smoothly when lowing the leg. If these muscles are holding tension, the muscles will "snap" over the bones as you move your leg through that range of motion. Many people have had great success improving the alignment of their hips by using our products and following our 3 simple steps. Step 1: Release the tight muscles around your pelvis using the Hip Hook and the Hip Release Ball Step 2: Realign the pelvis with the pelvic realignment exercise Step 3: Remember to strengthen the glutes and other hip/pelvic stabilizing muscles using the Hip Resistance Band Everything you need to improve this is included in the #FixYourHipKit, which is currently on sale for $20 off the regular price on our website.

Woohoo!!

You're welcome. It's not too late to do something about it. Have you ever tried releasing your iliacus before?

No, I haven't didn't know anything about it. Not taught

@@victoria_elaine_treadaway71 got it. The iliacus seems to be an overlooked muscle for its importance in the alignment and function of the body. It is often very tight on most people and affects the way they move, and many times can contribute to different kinds of pain. Releasing it is the way you help this area recover so your body can function more optimally. Check out our product called the Mark (formerly known as the Hip Hook). It is the only mobility tool designed specifically to get into this muscle to apply pressure in a way that only a skilled practitioner could apply. www.alethahealth.com/mark

Apply pressure to the muscle using our product called the Mark (formerly known as the Hip Hook) to help the muscle release/relax. Doing so will help improve the alignment of the pelvis and lower back and also improve the movement of the hip and legs. Learn more here - www.alethahealth.com/mark

Remember that these are just simple "tests" that can help highlight possible tightness in the hip flexor muscles. Just because your painful side doesn't make some (or all) of the tests outlined in this video, doesn't mean that your hip flexors on that side aren't tight. You may be holding tension in your hip flexors on both sides, with one side being tighter than the other. This tension and imbalance ultimately throws off the alignment of the pelvis and the hips, which can cause many of the surrounding muscles to tighten up to try to protect the body (like the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, hips, groin, etc). Do you have a Hip Hook yet and have been using it to start addressing the tightness in these muscles?

Yes, tension on one side can create compensations in the body and lead you to develop symptoms elsewhere. When you get your tools, use them equally on both sides to start.

This difference can be seen when comparing non-weight bearing positions (supine) to a weight-bearing position (standing). In addition to flexing the hip, the psoas and iliacus muscles serve as external rotators of the hip because of their insertion points on the femur. When lying down with the leg relaxed, the external rotation forces are applied to the leg and it will rotate outwards. When in an active weight-bearing position like standing, the foot is firmly planted on the ground. With the pelvis and hip joint internally rotated relative to each other, the hip has no more space to move, so the knee begins to compensate and roll inward. If you take it a step further and analyze your walking pattern, the foot/leg on the tighter side may rotate outwards during the leg swing phase of the gait cycle before it contacts the ground and the knee internally rotates again. Does this help?

Use it on both sides

The solution often involves a combination of muscle release alongside some stretches and exercises to improve the alignment and stability around the hips and pelvis. We have several products available on our website that have helped nearly 100K people with improving this issue. Check us out at www.alethahealth.com

Do you have a Hip Hook yet so you can try and start improving the groin pain you are experiencing?