In Issue #4, 2015: Contents of JMS, we published a review of an article written by Til Luchau. In this article, the author suggested working on the iliopsoas muscle using a deep approach through the anterior abdominal wall and through the abdominal organs. In the author’s view, it is an absolutely safe therapy, since, according to the article, when the therapist applies vertical pressure into the abdominal cavity trying to reach the iliopsoas muscle, which forms the posterior abdominal wall, all abdominal organs move away the same way plastic balls move away when we put our hand into a box filled with them. Technically speaking, this is an unfortunate but very common view of iliopsoas work, and the author just reinforced it.
We wrote an extensive review of the original article and used as many illustrations as possible to show therapists how erroneous this treatment option is. While it reduces the tension in the iliopsoas, such ‘therapy’ dramatically affects the function of the small and large intestines by unnecessarily traumatizing the intestinal walls. We are not going to repeat our arguments, since therapists may read them in the link to our original review. Read DISTORTION OF ILIOPSOAS THERAPY.
Many therapists agreed, saw great value in our review and changed the way they start to work on the iliopsoas muscle. Unfortunately, a large number of therapists profoundly disagreed with our recommendations and supported the author’s views based on the fact that they had successfully practiced the intra-abdominal approach for a number of years and therefore considered it completely safe. It was very frustrating for us, since incorrectly treated patients suffered from wrongly advised therapy. In our clinic, we periodically see patients who were previously treated with such ‘therapy’, and we observe its short-term and, in some cases, long-term effects.
There is no doubt that intra-abdominal work will reduce tension in the iliopsoas muscle, but repetitive traumatization of the intestinal walls is completely unnecessary. Its results may show themselves later in patients’ lives, and they won’t even link their symptoms with the work of the therapists who did it several months or even years prior. For example, intestinal trauma may cause the formation of adhesions between intestinal loops followed by twisting and obstruction of the intestinal lumen, as well as various posttraumatic changes in peristalsis.
Recently, our former student Angela Bitting, CMMP, LMT, sent us a video in which the same issue was examined and illustrated in a cadaver study. We think it is great visual proof which supports our original clinical recommendations. Please watch it carefully. We hope that therapists who still use such pseudo-clinical treatment will change their views and immediately stop this incorrectly applied therapy.
The first rule of medicine is “Do No Harm!” and the treatment suggested in the original article does exactly the opposite: it harms patients in the long run while indeed helping with the current symptoms of iliopsoas muscle tension. It doesn’t matter who taught and recommended this treatment or how long therapists have successfully practiced it – this nonsense must be stopped ASAP. Please think about your patients/clients first!
Video from Physio Network: Are We Really Reaching the Psoas?
Category: News
Tags: JMS 2019 Issue #4
