We’re finally into the meat! In this video we go over how to release SUPER common problem spots for pelvic pain and lower back pain—the pesky pectineus, iliacus and obterators.

You can use just your hands to get some relaxation in these areas and they do *wonders* for relieving pain all over the body, including the neck and shoulders.

To release the pectineus, you’ll want to pin the pocket of the groin, and then you can use the weight of your leg to act as a stretch. In massage it’s called a ‘pin and stretch’. I go over the details in this video—promise you’ll feel like your leg not only gets longer, but more relaxed afterward.

The iliacus lines the ilia of the pelvis and can be a major core compensation muscle. This muscle can be tight if you also have digestive issues or hold tension in your ‘guts’. Releasing this before attempting core work may help you get more abdominal engagement.

Lastly, we go into the obterators, which are super deep at the base of the pelvis. These get tight from sitting as well as from breath-holding. Many of us also ‘pinch pennies’ down there when we’re stressed, which makes this area chronically tight. Think about the pelvis like a butterfly with its wings spread. Pinching the bottom of the wings together pulls the upper wings apart. Thus, releasing that tether on the bottom wings, relaxes the upper portions. Doing this can be a huge help in lower back pain.

I would not suggest using something like a Theragun on this area—you aren’t trying to pummel your pelvic muscles. This massager has some helpful attachments that help to hook onto bones and it has a vibrational/percussive element instead of just percussive. Also, if you gently try to push those upper edges of the butterfly wings (the ilia) together and that feels relaxing to your body, you may want to invest in a pelvic floor belt. There’s a lot of variety here and you want to find the right thickness for you as if you buy one that has too much depth, it will ride up as you bend over. Here’s the one I’ve heard the best feedback on from clients. You can find my favorite book on the pelvic floor with helpful exercises here.

Again, massaging these spots will help you relax all over and will make it easier to breathe. Please comment or reach out if you have any questions and thanks for watching!