The Silent Core: Why Your Back Pain Isn’t Where You Think It Is

Paulius Jurasius
Apr 20
3 min read

INTRODUCTION

There’s a modern epidemic creeping beneath the surface of yoga mats, standing desks, and ergonomic chairs: deep lower back pain that lingers for months, sometimes years. It sits beneath the ribs, just off the spine, a dull ache or tight pull that never quite resolves.

Everyone points to the Quadratus Lumborum (QL)—the flank stabiliser, the side-wall tensioner. And sometimes it is the culprit. But often, it's not.

Often, it’s a much deeper, more ancient muscle.

The Psoas.

THE QL: THE OBVIOUS SUSPECT

The Quadratus Lumborum is the typical fall guy for lateralised back pain. It connects the 12th rib to the iliac crest and the lumbar spine. When it’s tight, the back feels compressed and twisted. Many therapists go after it with deep pressure, dry needling, or trigger point therapy.

But what if the QL is reacting, not initiating?

THE PSOAS: THE HIDDEN ARCHITECT

The psoas major isn’t just a hip flexor. It’s a deep core stabiliser, a spine anchor, a breathing modulator, and a messenger of your autonomic nervous system.

Originating from the lumbar vertebrae and inserting into the lesser trochanter of the femur, the psoas travels through the pelvic bowl and past the visceral field. It’s part of your deep front line, an anatomical and evolutionary structure tied to movement, defence, and survival.

When overcontracted, it doesn’t scream. It whispers. It creates an internal stiffness that feels like it's behind the abdominal wall, wrapping into the lower back.

MODERN LIFE: WHY THE PSOAS SUFFERS

Sedentary compression: The psoas, a muscle designed for movement, is shortened and its function compromised by our modern sedentary lifestyle. Understanding this can help us make better lifestyle choices.
Stress: The psoas, as a fight-or-flight muscle, tenses when the nervous system perceives a threat. This complex response to stress is a fascinating aspect of our body's functioning.
Hyperextension bias: Modern aesthetics often favour open chest, flared ribs posture—this over-activates the QL and causes the psoas to grip defensively.
Breath dysfunction: Shallow breathing limits diaphragm mobility, which shares fascial continuity with the psoas.

The result? The psoas clamps down. Not with drama, but with deep, enduring tension.

ANATOMICAL CONFUSION: WHY YOU THINK IT’S THE BACK

The brain isn't good at locating visceral tension. We feel psoas strain as QL ache because:

They share fascial lines
The pain is diffuse
The nervous system generalises the source

This leads to repeated treatments on the QL that do not work—because the psoas was never invited to the conversation.

THE EVOLUTIONARY VIEW

In early human movement, the psoas was the keystone for upright locomotion, linked to breath and gaze. It activated subtly with walking, climbing, and shifting posture on natural terrain. Modern flat-ground living deconditions it.

The result is a psoas that forgets how to lengthen, release, and cooperate with the diaphragm. This isn’t a muscle injury. It’s a patterning failure rooted in how far we’ve drifted from primal movement.

JANMI APPROACH: HOW WE RESET

At JANMI, we treat psoas-related back pain through:

Deep abdominal work
Diaphragmatic mobilisations
Nervous system calming protocols
Layered fascia release and repositioning of the pelvis

At JANMI, we believe in a different approach. We don't aggressively dig or apply blind pressure. Instead, we engage in structured, responsive work that listens to the body’s feedback, ensuring a more effective and comfortable therapy experience.

WHEN TO SUSPECT PSOAS OVER QL

Pain feels deep, diffuse, and hard to pinpoint
Symptoms worsen with prolonged sitting or stress
QL release gives only short-term relief
The pain wraps around the flank into the lower belly

FINAL THOUGHT

Pain isn’t always where you feel it. And treatment shouldn’t chase symptoms. The body is a conversation between layers. If you listen well, the truth isn’t hidden. It’s just deeper than most are willing to go.