By Paulius Jurasius, Founder of the JANMI Method
Dear reader, I’m Paulius Jurasius, and I want to invite you on a journey—a journey through time, movement, and the very core of our being. Today, I’ll be sharing a story that involves a muscle most of us don’t even know we have, yet it plays a crucial role in how we move and how we feel. It’s the iliopsoas, the deep hip flexor muscle that holds the secret to much of the back pain people endure in modern life.
In my 13 years as a manual therapist, I’ve encountered countless individuals struggling with persistent lower back pain. Time and time again, the same hidden culprit appears: the iliopsoas. Often forgotten, this powerful muscle is overworked and neglected, trapped by the demands of a lifestyle far removed from what our bodies were designed for. And this, I believe, is where the story really begins.
The iliopsoas is not just a muscle. It is a remnant of our ancient past—a muscle that has allowed us to walk, run, climb, and explore the world around us. It connects our lower spine to our legs, stabilising the pelvis and making fluid movement possible. But in the modern world, it has become something else. A victim. A muscle bound by chairs, desks, and long periods of inactivity.
To understand the iliopsoas, we must travel back in time, to the days of early homo sapiens. Our ancestors lived a life of movement. They crossed vast plains, scaled cliffs, and squatted to prepare food or rest by a fire. Their iliopsoas thrived on this movement—flexing, extending, adapting. It was the engine that powered their survival, guiding their every step.
But as the centuries passed, as our societies became more complex, and our need for constant movement faded, our relationship with our bodies changed. We sat more. We moved less. And the iliopsoas, once the champion of our mobility, became shortened and stiffened by the constraints of a sedentary life. Today, I see the results of this mismatch in my clinic every day.
One of my clients, Emma, came to see me a few months ago with relentless lower back pain. She had tried everything—stretching, yoga, even painkillers—but nothing seemed to help. When we began to talk about her daily routine, the cause of her pain slowly came into focus. Emma, like so many of us, spent most of her day sitting—at her desk, in meetings, on the tube. This constant sitting had shortened her iliopsoas, pulling on her spine and tilting her pelvis forward. Her back pain wasn’t from an injury or strain—it was from a muscle imbalance deeply rooted in modern life.
This is the reality for so many people. Our bodies, which evolved to move constantly, are now forced into long hours of stillness. The iliopsoas—designed for fluid motion—remains locked in a contracted position, pulling on the lumbar spine and creating tension. The result? Chronic back pain, tight hips, and often a cycle of discomfort that seems impossible to break.
The beauty of understanding the iliopsoas lies in its simplicity. Once we recognise what’s causing the pain, we can begin to address it—not with pills or surgery, but with targeted therapy. And that’s where the JANMI Method comes in.
The JANMI Method isn’t about treating symptoms; it’s about understanding the root cause of pain and tension, and then working methodically to release it. For Emma, this meant focusing on her iliopsoas—unlocking the tension, releasing the tightness, and bringing her body back into balance.
The work began with Trigger Point Therapy. By identifying the specific points in her iliopsoas that were referring pain to her back, we were able to apply focused pressure, releasing the muscle and easing her discomfort. It was as though we had unlocked a key—her body began to let go, and the tension that had been pulling on her spine started to dissolve.
Next came Myofascial Release. The iliopsoas is surrounded by fascia, a web of connective tissue that, when tight, can restrict movement and cause further pain. Through myofascial release, we softened the fascia, allowing the iliopsoas to lengthen and move freely again. For Emma, this was a breakthrough moment. She could feel her body beginning to respond, her pain gradually diminishing.
But therapy is only one part of the solution. At JANMI, we believe in empowering our clients to take control of their own health. So we combined the hands-on work with Neuromuscular Therapy—specific exercises designed to restore the balance between her iliopsoas and the other muscles that support her posture and movement. Slowly but surely, Emma’s body began to realign. Her pelvis shifted back into place, her spine felt less compressed, and her lower back pain eased.
Today, Emma is pain-free. She walks into my clinic with a new sense of awareness—of her body, her movement, and the muscles that support her. This, to me, is the true power of the JANMI Method. It’s not just about treating pain—it’s about understanding the body in all its complexity, and finding the path to balance and relief. The JANMI Method offers hope and comfort to those struggling with back pain.
I share this story because it’s not unique. Every day, I work with clients who are experiencing the same kind of discomfort—tight hips, lower back pain, and a deep sense of frustration. And time after time, the iliopsoas is at the heart of the issue. But the solution is within reach. Through Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, and Neuromuscular Therapy, we can restore balance to the body, releasing tension and allowing the muscles to move as they were designed to. The JANMI Method is effective and can bring relief to those suffering from back pain.
If you’re sitting there, reading this, and wondering if your iliopsoas might be the source of your pain, I encourage you to reflect on your own body. Do you spend long periods sitting? Have you noticed tightness in your hips or lower back? If so, I would love to hear from you. Share your experience in the comments, or reach out directly, and together we can explore how the JANMI Method can help you find relief.
Because at the end of the day, this journey is about more than just pain relief. It’s about understanding our bodies, learning to listen to the signals they send us, and working with them—rather than against them—to achieve balance and well-being.
And this is just the beginning.
To be continued...
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