Posted 05/07/2012
I am reposting this HEALTHY HINT on our blog, as it is a very popular search topic trending right now… If you have questions or comments for me, please post them below.
Recumbent vs. Upright Stationary Bike
Posted 04/04/2012
What is a tilted pelvis? A pelvic tilt is actually a fairly common postural problem. A pelvic tilt occurs when the pelvis tilts in one direction. There is an anterior pelvic tilt in which the pelvis tilts towards the front of the body and there is a posterior pelvic tilt in which the pelvis tilts towards the back of the body. The anterior pelvic tilt is generally the most common. Pelvic tilts are owed to muscle imbalances. In other words, certain muscles may not be working properly and other muscles may be working too much. Structurally, an anterior pelvic tilt can cause some muscles to become tight and others to be lengthened.
The back muscles and hip flexors become shortened in length when the body has an anterior pelvic tilt. Furthermore, when the back muscles and hip flexors shorten, the abdominal and hamstring muscles become lengthened. A common misconception is that the hamstrings appear to be short and tight and need to be stretched. On the contrary, the hamstrings are actually lengthened and tense secondary to the pelvis falling forward and need to be activated to return the pelvis to a more neutral position. Often times patients with low back pain are often told to stretch their hamstrings to relieve their discomfort. In response to stretching of the hamstrings, the pelvis may tilt even further forward and the lower back muscles may become tighter to keep the body upright.
Today I looked at the anterior pelvic tilt and how this position may affect your body. An anterior pelvic tilt can not only be an impairment to your posture but it can place undue stress on muscles, joints and your breathing to name a few. Your problems may range from a constant achy lower back to countless debilitating symptoms throughout your body. With a few exercises from a PRI therapist you can help correct your tilt and have a more balanced pelvis.
Questions or thoughts on this blog? Leave a comment!!
Posted 11/28/2011
Every day at the Hruska Clinic and across the country, PRI trained Physical Therapists assess and determine whether or not their patient is neutral. Neutral can be used in various contexts. I will provide you with everyday occurrences in which the word “neutral” is used and I will then use these examples of how it relates to the human body. By definition, neutral is:
- The condition of being disengaged in contests between others.
- State of taking no part on either side.
- Indifference.
- Being mutually acceptable to both sides.
All phenomena is defined in relation to its opposite. How do we understand the idea of hot without cold, forward without reverse? Hot and cold are different points on a spectrum of an understanding of what we might call “temperature”. Forward and reverse are different points on a spectrum of an understanding of what we might call “motion”. Thus things always come in pairs. Neutrality, on the other hand, lacks the bias towards one of these opposites. Automobiles have a neutral gear, you are neither moving forward nor backward. Likewise, warm suggests you are neither hot nor cold!! We are constantly seeking a balance between these opposites-they are always moving--there is never a time when they stop. Notice I didn’t say anything about resolving this balance. If there was perfect balance, there would be no motion. When these opposites are managed to obtain the best of both conditions, the conflict between these opposites is converted into symmetry. Let me reit¬erate again how important this is: it’s the constant seeking of balance between opposites that creates our lives as we know it.
We know that we cannot always be neutral in everything we do All too often we end up judging our every thought, emotion, and action as positive or negative. Some individuals have strong opinions or positions on current events or topics; some individuals are liberal where others may be conservative. Other examples that can be related to this include war, euthanasia, taxes, abortion etc. When we look around, there are many examples in which we tend to hold a strong position or bias towards something whether it is right or wrong. That’s a matter of opinion!
So where does “neutral” fit in? Considering the multiple interpretations of the word, I will go out on a limb as a PRC therapist and state “Our patients never obtain complete neutrality!” Wow! What do I mean by this? We as physical therapists are constantly trying to determine whether or not our patient is “neutral”. To truly be “neutral” would mean that the balance point would always meet in the middle; you are neither here nor there kind of thing. How often do you suppose this happens? I will pose another question; do you think our bodies are always in a position of neutrality? There are various movements and positions that we place our body in on a daily basis, we flex and extend, we adduct and abduct, we inhale and exhale. We never just stop in the middle with these movements. To move from one extreme range of motion to the other requires the presence of a mid-point or what I refer to as neutrality. Neutrality is the ability to accept a movement or position in the reflection of the other without conflict. Neutrality is a “range” and/or “zone” of movement; it is a “transitional position”. You can’t get from here to there without crossing the middle! So it comes as no surprise that good attracts bad, and bad attracts good. Likewise flexion attracts extension and adduction attracts abduction. We as humans all hold positions and/or bias whether we like to extend or flex, believe or disbelieve, and whether it is good or bad. And, to complicate matters, what is observed as “good” by some will be observed as “bad” by others. This cycle continues on and on!
In summary, I spoke with my mentor, Ron Hruska, about this topic. As we discussed this topic we both concluded that “neutrality” in its real sense is a “transitional position”. Some patients may be biased towards a particular movement or position. Whether it is right or wrong we all have tendencies towards a matter of opinion, position, or movement pattern. We as PRI therapists must accept the fact that our patients may never be able to achieve “neutrality”! It is our job to allow our patients to experience this “mid-range” and/or “zone of neutrality” and not be biased towards one extreme over the other.
I would appreciate any comments and insight regarding this matter…
Posted May 7, 2012 at 8:24am by Jennifer Gloystein.
