Trouble Maker Iliacus

Today we are going to look at an often overlooked muscle. It can be a problem child muscle sometimes, but mostly because it's trying to do more than its fair share of work for the body. It's a brother of another muscle called the psoas, and sometimes people mash them together and call them one muscle. I think, however, it's special enough all by itself and should be treated as it's own.

Todays muscle is the Iliacus!


The Iliacus is found in the lower portion of the trunk. It's attached to the inside part of the hip bones and fits into a depression called the iliac fossa. The iliacus is a flat, triangular-ish muscle, and runs down to attach down onto the lesser trochanter of the inside part of the femur.
The Iliacus is a powerful hip flexor. It is important when you lift your leg forward, as well as when you bend your trunk forward, like in doing a sit up.

The iliacus is one of the first muscle that i look at when there is hip dysfunction or pain.
In my practice, Mr. Iliacus is caught  overworking often. It's important to make sure it's not pulling the pelvis forward. In the rare occasion that he's underworking, it's really bad news for the hips and low back too. An underworking Iliacus causes much difficulty in hip flexion and stability of the hips and back.
If you are having trouble with your hips or low back your iliacus may be involved!

Stay healthy and have a great night!