How to Choose a Psoas Release Tool

1. Check the reach behind the claim

Some manufacturers say their tips work for both the psoas and iliacus. A tip that reaches one muscle, though, may not make the intended contact with the other. A product description naming both muscles is a reason to look closer at the shape and placement.

Use the Nexus Health Tools 3D Reach Test to compare the pictured tool designs against modeled psoas and iliacus anatomy. Check each muscle separately: where does the tip make contact, and does its width or curve limit its reach? The comparison shows why a shape that reaches the psoas may fall short at the iliacus, or the reverse. It illustrates reach in the modeled positions; your anatomy and placement can differ.

On Core Nexus, the broad tip is designed for the psoas. The narrower, angled tip is designed for the iliacus. Both are built into the tool, so there are no attachments to exchange when you change tips.

2. Get the how-to videos, coach, and routines in one app

Before you buy, check how you will learn to use the tool. You need to know which tip to use, where to place it, and how to follow a routine. With Core Nexus, that guidance is in Nexus Recovery Coach, the free, all-in-one app for Core Nexus and Black Swan.

The app brings how-to videos, coach guidance, guided routines, timers, and saved favorites together. You can watch a placement demonstration, pause or replay it while you learn, then follow the steps and timer in a guided routine. The videos and routine stay together, so you can refer back to the demonstration when you need it.

For psoas and iliacus use, start with the placement videos in the app before following the routine. There are demonstrations for other areas, including the lower back and glutes, so you can learn those setups in the same place.

Recovery Coach works on iPhone and Android, needs no account, and can also run in a browser. Open the app and installation guide to explore it before buying or add it to your phone's Home Screen.

3. Watch how the contact angle changes

With Core Nexus, the whole tool rotates on its curved base as you shift position. That movement changes the angle at which the selected tip makes contact.

When watching another design, pay attention to what the person has to move. Do they reposition their body on the tool? Move the tool itself? Adjust an attachment? Watch the actual adjustment as well as the starting position.

You also want to see how the person eases into pressure and backs away. If the video jumps from setup to the end of the session, look for a longer demonstration that shows the movement in between.

4. Check the size and construction

Read the measurements, especially if you plan to keep the tool in a drawer or carry it in a gym bag. Photos taken from different angles make size comparisons difficult.

Core Nexus measures 5.5 × 3.5 × 5.13 inches and weighs under one pound. It is made in the USA from one piece of TPU and needs no assembly or batteries. It also has a U.S. patented design.

Read the return and warranty terms before ordering, too. The Core Nexus lifetime warranty covers manufacturing flaws under the conditions on the Safety & Warranty page.