I must admit I have thought about writing an article about the Quadratus Lumborum (QL) and Psoas muscles for a long time but have avoided it for I was afraid it would take me too far down the rabbit hole of confusion and contradictory conclusions that make absolutely no sense. However, I have come across problems with this muscle several times recently with people suffering with hip problems and also when people tried to execute the complex multi-joint exercises I have been using a lot, so I thought it would be a good idea to try to explain why this happens and more importantly what you can do about it. To make this easier to understand and also minimize the length of the article I have split this into two parts with part one about the QL and part two about the Psoas major. They really work together to create stability of the spine during movement although they are often misunderstood and trained as prime moving muscles.The QL helps form the lateral stabilizing system needed for walking and single leg stance whereas the psoas allows the hip to flex without damaging the spine. There is no doubting they are very unique muscles and when you understand their purpose it is easier to determine what exercises work best and how to prevent problems from occurring.
How To Correct Lateral Pelvic Tilt & Leg Length Discrepancy
One of the most difficult forms of muscle imbalance to correct is the lateral pelvic tilt which is often associated with a leg length discrepancy. When the pelvis is not maintained in a square and level position the body compensates by shifting the hip of the supporting leg out to the side, rotating the lower limb inwards, forcing the opposing side of the shoulder to collapse. The body will be always want to maintain an erect head position with eyes level and will sacrifice anything in order to achieve this. This is often where many people are diagnosed as having one leg longer than the other (leg length discrepancy), as this is what appears to be the case upon examination of their posture. However, in most cases the bones of the legs are the same length and it is the muscular imbalance at the hips creating the appearance of one leg being longer than the other. Apart from the immediate problems felt at the hips and loss of function with walking and running, this poor pelvic position places tremendous pressure on the spine, and can lead to development of scoliosis and even shoulder pain. Failure to correct this condition will eventually lead to a lifetime of chronic pain that severely impacts daily activities. In this article we will take a look at what causes this problem and the exercises you can use to prevent or correct this condition.