The iliopsoas muscle connects the spine and pelvis to the lower body. Excessive tennis movements put a strain on the iliopsoas muscle.
In the new year, the attention of tennis fans around the world was focused on the '2024 Brisbane International'. This is because it was the first tournament that Rafael Nadal, a clay court powerhouse and 22-time Grand Slam winner, played after returning from injury after a year.
Nadal suffered a grade 2 rupture of the left iliopsoas muscle (iliopsoas muscle) during the last Australian Open and underwent surgery. However, Nadal overcame difficult surgery and rehabilitation and made a successful comeback by advancing to the singles quarterfinals at the Brisbane tournament. However, he called a medical timeout during the quarterfinals, complaining of pain in the surgical area, and not only lost, but also announced that he would not participate in the Australian Open. On the 16th, we summarized what the iliopsoas muscle is and what effect it has on the body if damaged, through Director Lee Jun-seok of Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine.
The iliopsoas muscle is a term that refers to the iliac muscle and the psoas major muscle together, and is a muscle that connects the spine and pelvis with the lower body. It is responsible for movements of the lower back and pelvis, such as raising a leg or bending the waist, and plays an important role in maintaining body balance. In particular, the iliopsoas muscle has a very close relationship with the spine, to the extent that overseas research has shown that relaxation of the iliopsoas muscle reduces back pain by about three times.
The iliopsoas muscle also plays a role in stably supporting the pelvis and lower back. When the iliopsoas muscle is overly tense and contracted, it causes deformation of the spine, such as bending, causing back pain. These symptoms can worsen spinal diseases such as lumbar disc herniation and scoliosis (curvature of the spine). This is why it is easy to put a strain on the iliopsoas muscle when you forcefully rotate your upper and lower body, such as in tennis, or perform movements such as pivoting, which instantly changes the direction of movement.
In fact, Lamine Yamal, a promising player for the Spanish professional soccer team FC Barcelona, also suffered a left iliopsoas injury last year, and Guillermo Heredia, the fourth hitter for the domestic professional baseball team SSG, also did not play for more than three weeks due to this. I couldn't do it.
In addition to sports athletes, office workers who spend a lot of time sitting in chairs also frequently experience back pain due to excessive tension in the iliopsoas muscle. In particular, office workers in their 30s to 50s are at high risk of developing various spinal diseases due to poor posture for long periods of time and tension in the iliopsoas muscle. According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, out of a total of 2,098,183 patients with lumbar disc problems in 2022, 996,803 patients in their 30s to 50s, or about 50%.
If back pain occurs due to contraction of the iliopsoas muscle, oriental medicine provides integrated oriental medicine treatment such as Chuna therapy, acupuncture/herbal acupuncture treatment, and herbal medicine prescription to relax the iliopsoas muscle and restore spinal function.
Director Lee said, “Chuna therapy is a manual treatment performed by an Oriental medicine doctor to correctly correct the balance of the body, and is effective in reducing the burden on the spine, hip joints, and surrounding muscles,” adding, “Acupuncture helps promote blood circulation and gently relax muscles.” Herbal acupuncture, which is a purified herbal medicine ingredient in the form of an injection, is excellent for quickly reducing pain and recovering damaged tissue,” he said.
It is also a good habit to relax the iliopsoas muscle through regular stretching. ‘Iliopsoas muscle relaxation stretching’ is recommended as a representative exercise method. First, kneel down, straighten your back, and step one leg forward. Afterwards, push the knee on the side you stepped forward to relax the iliopsoas muscle. At this time, the upper body should be kept as straight as possible. Maintain the position for 15 seconds and perform 3 sets of 3 reps on each leg.
Director Lee said, “Athletes who move their upper and lower bodies excessively, as well as office workers who sit for long periods of time, should pay attention to excessive tension in the iliopsoas muscle and diseases such as lumbar disc problems that occur due to this,” adding, “ “If you feel pain, I recommend paying attention to the health of your iliopsoas muscle.” 스포츠토토맨