Illuminating the Iliacus

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IACUSBy Liz Koch Some muscles just seem to grab our attention and dominate our awareness while stretching: anterior superior ,1" quads, hamstrings and abdominals are all too iliacspine I ,_\l - ____=_ | familiar. But ask anyone where their iliacus anterior ---\- muscle is and the response most often will be inferior iliacspine one of uncertainty. And yet the iliacus directly influences range of motion within the hip sockets rectus femoris and maintains pelvic integrity so essential to tendon flexibility and strength. gluteusminimus Liningthe internalpelvic girdle the iliacusopens like a muscle, fan, creatinga healthybowl-like structure for all and attachment site on greater abdominalorgans and viscera.lt is the well-functioning trochanter iliacusthat maintainsfull-centered sockets for the femur ball and helpsstabilise the sacraliliac joints by counter- balancingthe largeand powerfulgluteus maximus muscles(buttock muscles). site ol attachment of fibrocartilagenous posterior The lliacusis a abdominalwall muscle pubic symphysis originatingfrom the superiorpart of the iliacfossa (the insideof your hip).lt is innervatedby the femoralnerve in ischiumand inferior the abdomen(at lumbar2 and 3) and its' fibrespass ischial tuberosity pubic inferiorlyand mediallybeneath the inguinalligament. ramus Sharinga tendon at the lessertrocanter of the femur (i.e. pubofemoral ligament the innerleg), with the psoas muscle,the iliacusis part of the core ilio-psoasmuscle group. Togetherthe psoasand iliacusform a full stablepelvic bowl and centeredhip jointsfor maximumrotation and Recentlytwo women who attendedan llio-psoasretreat freedomof leg movement.Health or diseasein one will returnedhome and immediatelyconceived. Both women be reflectedin the other.lf for examplethe psoasmuscle did not believethey would ever be ableto become shortens,tipping the pelvicbowl forward(i.e. flexing the impregnatedor hold a pregnancy.In fact they were not pelvis),the internalabdominal space will narrow even relatingtheir ilio-psoasexplorations to their restrictingthe functionof the iliacusmuscle to fan infertility.lt was an assumedcondition. But thereis a laterallyopen. A constrainediliacus muscle pulls the connection.When the pelvistips forwardnarrowed by the pelviccrests together, narrowing the width of the pelvic iliacusmuscle, the uterusalso tips forward.A forward basinand compressingthe hip sockets.Limiting the tipped uterusis often synonymouswith miscarriage.lt's psoas muscleas it passesover the hip socketthe impossibleto tell all that goes into creatingthe right restrictediliacus effects range of motion in the leg and conditionsfor a successfulpregnancy, but deep can compromisethe sacraliltac(Sl) joints. relaxationis associatedwith ilio-psoasrelease and the Shallow,the pelvicbowl no longerprovides a structural freedomof pelvicfunction may havecontributed to their containerfor the organsand viscera.Without pelvic surprisingsuccess. supportthe organsfall forwardand the abdominal A narrowpelvic basin also affectsthe low back, neck I|Iustrationscourtesy ot muscleslose tone. The congestiontranslates into and'shouldergirdle. Compensating for the tippedpelvis the excellent, ANATOMY OF HATHA YOGA by abdominalproblems such as poor absorptionand difficult the upperstructural integrity becomes compromised and David Coulter,published elimination.Reproductive dysfunctions such as whether altersin an attemptto re-establishbalance. The iliacus by Body & Breath lnc, US, or not a woman has menstrualcramps, and the vitality fans the pelviclower body open and the shouldergirdle www.b odyan d b reath.co m and distributed in the UK and successof pregnancy,how she carriesher baby to matchesthe width of the upper body.The suscapularis by the Himalayan term and eventhe successof vaginalbirth is in part muscleslining the insideof the scapula,mirrors the lnstitute, dependentupon the iliacus. breathand width of the iliacusmuscle. Tel:020 8991 8090. www.yogaandhealth mag. co. u k Most importantlya fannediliacus matches the power To be physicallyand emotionallystable involves the Liz Koch is an and strengthof the gluteusmaximus (gluts) muscles. In a pelvisto be in a right relationshipto everyother bone and internationallyknown teacher with 27 years forward the gluts, when over developed, in harmonywith the Balancing pelvis bend especially earth. the by experience and is the can pullon the deep ligamentsof the pelvicbasin and fanningopen the iliacusprovides an importantstep author of 'The Psoas over time cause pelvicinstability and sacraliliac (Sl joint) towardsmaintaining and/or re-creating core integrity. Book' a comprehensive pain. guide to the lliopsoas Muscle and its profound The Sl joints are a web of ligaments,weaving the three affect on the pelvicbones together. Sl joints give the sacrumits body/mind/emotions, supplenessbut they are also vulnerableto slow or fast 'UnravelingSco/losis CD'which offers a new powerfulstretching. Within the Sl ligamentsthe paradigm for skeletal proprioceptiveneuro-receptors register both physicaland alignment&anewbook emotionalstress. lmbedded within the ligaments,these 'Core Awareness: major receptorsco-ordinate alignment and balance. Enhancing Yoga, Pilates, Exercise& Dance'. Liz When understress the receptors,structural and will be teaching three electricalin nature,become over-loaded. What is Core Awareness commonlyreferred to as blowingout the Sl joints workshops in England happenswhen a force stemmingfrom physicalor and lreland in June/July 04. To find out more emotionaltrauma puts excessivepressure on the pelvic about workshops and attachments.Powerful and shockingexperiences short- fhe psoas muscle you circuitthe Sl Joints.Burdened Sl jointsno longer may visit decipheraccurate neurological and energeticinformation. Yearsof slow intentionalstretching can also slowlypull the vulnerableSl joints apart.Like Turkish toffee softens from continualkneading, continual static stretching absentof counterbalanceand skeletalalignment begins to stretchligaments. A fannedopen iliacuscan provide the stabilityto preventdestabilisation of the pelvicbasin. The pelvisexpresses not only our physicalbut emotionalstability. Instability in the core has a rippling affectthroughout our whole beingaffecting every aspect of our health.A participantexploring her iliacusin a workshopnoted how releasingand fanningopen the iliacusmuscle soothed and calmedher. She relatedthe sensationsshe normallyhad to an imageof a cat. She explainedthat usuallyshe felt like a cat whosetail was up and its fur on end. She felt bristlyand often irritated but releasingher iliacusmuscle centered her pelvis, stabilisedher sacraljoints (Sljoints) and calmingher entirenervous system.

rightand leftcrura of twelfththoracic respiratorydiaphragm vertebra(T12) (cutends) rightquadratus twelfthrib lumborum transversus psoasminor abdominis

psoas major left quadratus lumborum

crest of the iliacus lefi ilium

intervertebraldisk cut end of left betweenL5 and the psoasmuscle sacrum superiorpubic ramus

greatertrochanter joint insertionof right iliopsoascombination inferior pubic leftfemur rami