LMT, Logan Medrano Talks about the Power of Psoas Release
Logan Medrano, staff massage therapist at Bodyworks DW, is our therapist of the month for April!
Read his interview where he talks about the effectiveness of Psoas Release Techniques on lower back pain, and why he decided to be an LMT.
Most common pain issue you see with your clients?
Definitely, lower back pain. It's one of the reasons I started wanting more training on psoas release techniques!
How do you work to correct this issue?
- First, I do an assessment to figure out where the lower back pain is stemming from. Is there a tilt in the pelvis? Maybe a rotation forward or backward? An elevation between the left or right side?
- Then I work with the hip flexors - release of the psoas and quads, adductors, abductors, hamstrings and QL (quadratus lumborum).
- I often give a passive psoas stretch as a "homework" assignment where the client lays flat on their back with both of their legs elevated up on a chair or a couch. It's just a really easy, relaxing stretch that also provides a good psoas release for an often neglected muscle.
What makes psoas release one of your favorite areas to work on?
The psoas is a very large deep-seated core muscle. It connects the all of the lumbar vertebrae to the femur (your thigh bone)! It's a muscle that's often contracted especially for people who work a desk job. I like that when it's released most people feel a HUGE difference right away.
Psoas release is great for lower back pain but it's also great for neck pain. The pelvis and the neck also have a strong correlation with each other. And I've had psoas work release neck and jaw tension too!
What inspired you to start a career in massage therapy?
Back in 2006 my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. She was receiving really incredible care at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and they had a licensed massage therapist on staff that would come around and give bedside oncology massages. I asked the therapist one day if she could teach me a few techniques to help ease my mom's post-chemo pain and she did.
I went on to study music and audio production at first but kept with me a fond appreciation for massage. Then several years ago I had an injury that required surgery and afterward I started to get regular massages to help with my recovery.
I was amazed at the results.