Where the Pain Is...

Where the pain is, the problem is not.

Ever heard this said?

This is actually a quote from Dr Ida Rolf. Rolfing is a form of deep-tissue bodywork and movement education that manipulates the body's connective tissue to improve posture, alignment, and function in relation to gravity.

Dr Rolf believed that the body is more efficient when its structure is balanced in gravity. Imbalances in one area can create strain and dysfunction in another, leading to pain. Like, for instance, hip pain could stem from imbalances or restrictions in the shoulder, or back pain could be linked to tightness in the legs.

Wise words indeed, and something that I agree with through all my Pilates therapy, NeuroKinetic Therapy and Restore Your Core training, personal knowledge troubleshooting my own problems, and experience helping clients over the years.

Let me give you an example.

Someone comes to Pilates classes with a persistenly sore shoulder that they are receiving massage and physiotherapy for. There might be a rotator cuff issue, or tendinitis, or calcification of a tendon. It might be on the dominant right hand side - some believe that in itselft is a problem - but there is no history of injury.

Physiotherapy yields negligible results, if any, which is understanably hugely disappointing to my client. Perhaps they are then even advised to reduce the range of motion, rest the arm and learn to live with it, or more deep massage.

Or, to try Pilates (it seems to be a generally good recommendation).

So, if this person comes to me, where would I start?

In my assessment, I will actually look at that person’s pelvis very early on as opposed to solely focussing on the shoulder.

Pelvis stability is the body’s priority, and as we walk, we weight-bear on the right, and left leg, alternatively. Stability in single leg standing is achieved through the proper “locking” mechanics of the sacro-iliac joints. They are junctions where the sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of the spine) connects to the iliac bones (the upper part of the pelvis).

If one of those junctions does not achieve proper stability in weight-bearing, not only does this result in instability when balancing (and walking), but we will also have a potentially weaker glute (buttock) muscle on that side… and through connective tissue links, the opposite shoulder will compenstate and tighten.

Why?

Think walking - one leg goes forward, the opposite arm swings forward too, then reverse.

When one leg swings back, but is unable to do it well because of a problem with the pelvis on that side, the opposite shoulder will respond by tightening. They are actually linked through connective tissues in the lower back (thorocolumbar fascia) that helps stabilise the pelvis and lower back. Those tissues want to support the lower back as best they can, so they exert a pull on the shoulder to give it greater tension that is lacking elsewhere.

It is called the Posterior Oblique Sling. It helps us walk, literally propelling us forward!

Given enough time with a problem in the pelvis that has not been addressed, a shoulder issue will start emerging and potentially cause pain.

If left unresolved long enough, it will create a problem in its own right (like, tendinitis, or even calcification), with the original root cause of the issue still very much there at the foundations.

My recommendation is - always look at the pelvis, at how we balance on a single leg, and see if there are any diagonal cross-body connection.

As where the long-standing pain is, the problem, rarely, is. We should look deeper and holistically.

If you would like to find out more, or have a problem you are looking to get to the bottom of, please contact me on 07768 135481, or kaye@move-beyond.co.uk

To your health

Kaye