The Psoas Muscle: Release, Function, and Treatment Strategies (CNE)
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.
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.
Who This Course Is For
This course is suitable for nurses working in clinical practice, rehabilitation, orthopaedics, primary care, pain management, pelvic health-adjacent settings, community care, aged care, wellness, mobility support, and interdisciplinary care. It is especially relevant for nurses who want to connect psoas-related anatomy and movement concepts with patient safety, functional observation, pain communication, posture, gait, transfer ability, documentation, referral quality, and coordinated care.
About the Presenter
Dr. Elizabeth Wagner, DPT, is a highly accomplished physical therapist with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Washington and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Puget Sound. Her clinical background includes movement assessment, rehabilitation, patient education, and practical strategies for improving function and outcomes.
Dr. Wagner brings a clear, clinically grounded teaching style to NAT Global Campus, helping learners connect anatomy, movement, breathing, pain patterns, safety considerations, and functional recovery with real patient care.
In support of improving patient care, this course has been planned and implemented by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and Neil Asher. AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 7.00 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.