Appointments This Week & What Is Going On In This Picture?

The office will close at noon on Friday and will be closed all day Saturday this week. There is still time to get in before that so just call 816.561.1185 or visit omchirokc.com to schedule. We are back to normal hours next week.

You're probably wondering what I'm doing in this picture, right? I'm checking for tight hip flexors.

"You're checking for tight hip flexors using the arms?" you might be asking.

​Yep, the iliopsoas--composed of iliacus, psoas major, and psoas minor--connects the femur (your thigh bone) to your pelvis and lumbar spine (low back bones). Here's a picture from the Atlas of Human Anatomy.

At the same time, you've got your latissimus dorsi (AKA lats; AKA chin-up muscles) connecting the humerus (upper arm bone) to one of the vertebra that the iliopsoas connects to. The lats also blend into the thoracolumbar fascia, which overlies all of the bony structures that iliopsoas connects to in the low back. The following picture from my textbook shows you these structures.

When the iliopsoas is pulling tighter on one side, that pulls on the bony structures that also attach to the thoracolumbar fascia which pulls on those lats. Then, one arm appears to be shorter than the other. When this is the case, I check for trigger points in the iliopsoas at the insertion sites on the thigh and at the muscle belly along the anterior pelvis. I treat the iliopsoas using the STAR (Scar Tissue And Rehabilitation) technique, and then recheck arm length. This almost always corrects the arm length inequality, and it's part of the protocol I use to correct low back problems. It's really cool to witness the whole process; so the next time you come in, bring a family member or friend so that they can observe the treatment!