I have a tight iliopsoas muscle and I’d really like to massage it and stretch it but it is very difficult given the location of the muscle.
Has anyone got any advice or any experience with iliopsoas problems or snapping hip syndrome?
The best way I know to stretch this is the following:
- Get down on one knee and keep your back upright (verticle). The knee that should be on the ground should be the one that you do NOT want to stretch (the back leg)
- Place your forearm on the inner knee or thigh of the front leg.
- In this position move your torso so that it’s facing the front. Do this gently and gradually. This should give you the iliopsoas stretch.
Hope it helps
Sorry to correct you but the stretch you mentioned will not stretch the iliopsoas muscle. Iliopsoas is a hip flexor running over the anterior section of the hip joint. When activated it decreases the angle of the hip joint in flexion. To stretch this muscle it is necessary to increase the angle of the joint. The exercise mentioned is correct except the leg that is being stretched IS the one on the ground. It is very important to keep upper body vertical or arched back and push forward onto front leg. Also thoroughly warm up before stretching. 
That’s great, thanks for that.
How about massage, any ideas?
Massage may be of negligle benefit as the bulk of the iliopsoas lies in the abdominal cavity,ie you cannot reach it. You must determine if it is a lack of flexibility or aggravation of the tendon or its sheath (tendonitis). Try PNF stretching and icing to reduce inflammation along with general strengthening of the hipflexor muscles. Topical anti inflammatories such as voltaren cream applied at the site may also be of benefit without the adverse effects of oral tablets. Rest is the best cure but you probably dont want to hear that. Good luck.
ART is great for this. The ART practitioner may also show you some self release techniques. Go on akm, don’t be a tight arse, put your hand in your pocket 
I would attach an image of some stretches but as usual there is a problem with attaching images. This time the image attachment doovy is crashing with a “This Page Cannot be displayed error”. Very annoying.
As always though, remember to treat the body as a whole rather than just one bit part. Everything is connected to something else and the thing that is REALLY causing the problems may be three connectoins away!
Anyone know where to find a good ART therapist in Sydney? I went to a Myotherapist in Lane Cove a couple of months ago (S.L) who came with a great rep, having treated many athletes from various sports including rugby league, boxing and track and field. However, I was very UNIMPRESSED with him both as a therapist and as a person! I also almost had a heart attack when at the end of 1hr session he told me the fee was $110! The only difference I felt between before the treatment session and after it was the sensation of a much lighter wallet!
Hey neospeed…
It seems with good marketing everyone is a expert and has worked with pro athletes and raised the dead. I posted a stretch under regeneration some time ago and I feel that has worked wonders. If I had only one stretch to do for sprinters…that would be it.
Neospeed, email me.
Clemson is quite right. It’s not who you have worked with, its who you have got results with.
One way to release the psoas is with a small (6-9") rubber ball, like the ones Yamuna Zake uses. Bascially, you lie down on the ball with the ball placed to the side of your belly button. This is around the origin of the psoas. If your psoas is tight it’ll pinch if you place too much pressure on it, so take it easy. From this starting position you can also gradually work your way down to the hip/groin.
Check out http://www.bodylogic.com . Clemson and I have posted this link a few times.
i must disagree… im sure the varies from person to person, but i had great results with massage of this area, although as you say it is somewhat limited. but i thought massage helped, as well as the ball idea… a combination of these has largely eliminated my tightness in my entire hip area.
Skilled therapy can treat much of the psoas…true much of the fiber is under the hip and abdominal wall…but STR and even ART can help.