The Psoas Muscle: Release, Function, and Treatment Strategies (CNE)

The Psoas Muscle: Release, Function, and Treatment Strategies (CNE) is organized by Niel Asher Education.

The Psoas Muscle: Release, Function, and Treatment Strategies:
A nursing-focused course that translates psoas anatomy, movement patterns, breathing and stress links, safety screening, patient education, referral, and coordinated care into practical clinical awareness.

Course Description:
This course helps nurses understand the psoas as more than a hip flexor. The psoas and iliopsoas region may be relevant to low back discomfort, anterior hip tightness, pelvic symptoms, sitting tolerance, walking, stair use, transfers, posture, breathing patterns, protective guarding, stress-related tension, and mobility confidence. Patients rarely present by naming the psoas; they are more likely to describe stiffness, pain, shortened stride, difficulty standing after sitting, guarded movement, or reduced confidence with everyday function.

The course translates release, function, and treatment strategy concepts into nursing-relevant clinical literacy. It does not aim to train nurses to diagnose psoas dysfunction, perform deep abdominal psoas release, prescribe specialist rehabilitation, or interpret advanced movement tests independently. Instead, it supports safer observation, clearer documentation, better recognition of red flags, more appropriate patient education, and improved referral and care coordination.

What You Will Learn:

Functional Anatomy:
Understand the practical relationship between psoas major, iliacus, the lumbar spine, pelvis, hip, diaphragm, abdominal region, and lumbar nerve pathways.

Movement and Posture:
Recognise how psoas-related patterns may appear during sitting, standing, walking, stairs, transfers, hip movement, lumbar posture, and guarded mobility.

Safety and Scope:
Identify red flags and professional boundaries, especially around deep abdominal palpation, manual release, neurological symptoms, abdominal or pelvic symptoms, and post-surgical caution.

Support and Referral:
Improve patient education, documentation, handover, rehabilitation referral quality, and interdisciplinary communication without over-attributing symptoms to one muscle.

Course Pathway:
The learning pathway moves from psoas relevance and anatomy into movement observation, breathing and stress awareness, safety screening, mobility support, treatment literacy, referral, and case-based integration.

• Recognise: Notice low back, anterior hip, pelvic, gait, posture, breathing, guarding, or transfer-related clues.
• Screen: Check red flags, neurological change, abdominal or pelvic concerns, post-surgical factors, pain severity, and mobility safety.
• Confirm Scope: Clarify what is permitted by role, region, policy, training, competence, and care plan.
• Support or Refer: Offer appropriate education, reinforce agreed strategies, escalate concerns, or refer for specialist review.

Important Scope Note: Nursing scope varies by country, region, register, employer policy, job role, training, competence, consent requirements, supervision arrangements, and indemnity or insurance. Some nurses may be authorised to provide selected movement education or comfort-support strategies in specific settings. Others may not. Deep psoas release, deep abdominal palpation, specialist diagnosis, and individual rehabilitation prescription require appropriate professional authority, training, and local approval.