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September/October 2002 Alternative Health
Pain & the Pelvis

by Todd Pennington

Your foundation is the pelvis. When it is working well, you feel great and can move with ease. When it starts to tighten, you start losing mobility. As it tightens more the pain level goes up, affecting everyday life. In time, long term pelvic, back and leg pain can come. For some it is sciatic pain, for others it can be low back pain, etcetera.

This can be changed, and it can be easy. Even if the disks are starting to become painful, it is still possible to release the pressure on them and let them return toward normal.

The bones of the pelvis get pushed around and sometimes forced out of position. This happens each time we get hit, fall and occasionally when we lift wrong. Most of the time everything comes back into correct alignment, but sometimes it does not. When the soft tissues (muscles) are damaged, the area goes into a protective mode. The area is stabilized by muscles holding it rigid so that healing can happen. Sometimes the area stays tight after the healing is complete. Then the next time a shock comes, the chance of problems goes up. And so life goes on. In most cases you do not even notice that the pelvis is tightening. The easiest way to tell is to check for mobility. Can you bring your leg fully up to your chest? Does your low back feel stiff or sore? When lying on your back can you bring your knee up and then lay it out to your side and have it go all way to the surface that you are laying on? If not then there is some amount of pelvic tightness.

Problems for L5-S1 (junction between the low back and the pelvis) have many causes. When you slide your hand down your low back it should have a gentle curve forward in the low back Then gently come backward and join the pelvis in a smooth gentle curve. If you feel even a partial shelf then the chances of low back pain goes way up. To get the low back happy it is wise to relax all of the gluteal (the back of the pelvis) muscles. Part of this also involves getting all of the muscles on the inside of the pelvis to relax. Care must be taken to make sure that the spinal disks are protected. When the entire system is relaxed, the pelvis can get into and stay in correct alignment with the rest of the body. This is not only possible, it can be lasting.

Many people have circulation problems in their legs, leading to swelling. Doctors may prescribe water pills to reduce or prevent the swelling. One possible cause of this problem that should be checked out is tight muscles in the pelvis. Check for mobility, if pelvic restriction is found, then the chance of swelling caused by muscle tightness increases. In this case the problem is most likely due to the internal muscles of the pelvis. It is possible to get the inner muscles to relax, but it requires a practitioner trained in these techniques to relax those layers of muscle. It can be done.

Sciatic pain is a symptom of incorrect sacral - pelvic tension. Direct pressure onto the area involved is frequently extremely painful. A more productive approach is to relax the pelvic muscles in layers. Most of this work needs to start away from the painful area. Relaxing the more distant areas starts to take the tension off of the piriformis muscle and can allow the entire zone to relax. The work must be done carefully, layer by layer and at a pace that the client can work with. For many, even a small amount of relief from sciatic pain is a great benefit.

Even if you have been told that nothing can ever be done, there can be hope of change if the problem is due to muscle tightness. Frequently this improvement can last for many years. To have long term results, the entire system must be relaxed and not just a part of it.

We work on these problems and many others. For more information or an appointment call Pam Pennington, LMT, Todd Pennington, LMT, Pennington Massage Clinic, 10175 SW Barbur Suite 306, Portland OR 97219. (503) 244-4427. For more articles see www.penningtonmassage.com