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