Pelvic Tilt and Back Pain

Top 5 causes of the dreaded pelvic tilt that contributes to lower back pain:

1. Weak hamstrings
2. Weak abdominals
3. Weak glutes
4. Tight erector spinae
5. Tight hip flexors

The answer? Lengthen & strengthen! Want better posture? Stretching and exercising are the two most vital keys. Being fit beats being "skinny or slim" and by no means are they the same thing. Fit people come in all sizes, but generally as you will see looking at the image here, their shape indicates a better resistance to gravity and more grace of movement. 

Sitting wrong or for too long is another leading cause of the pelvic tilt, given that over time, it tightens the hip flexors which places pressure on the lower back. Most of the people we see that come to us with lower back pain have very tight hip flexors, which is a result of desk work. 

As you can begin to see, there are two essential elements in maintaining good posture and preventing premature shortening of the spine, along with other signs of ageing. These are "stretching and strengthening". The longer and stronger the muscles, the better health we have as these promote better health all round in allowing freedom of movement and increased range of motion. 

Myotherapy works to do just this, in assisting clients to restore the perfect posture by adjusting the spinal alignment with the support of muscle balance and integrity. Myotherapists are becoming more and more popular in finding solutions to musculoskeletal imbalances and conditions because they treat both together by providing the body's structure muscular support to hold the bones in correct positioning. 

If you have a posture problem and associated pain and wish to avoid depending on costly drugs or time off work, call us today for a consultation on 9347 5764

Sciatic Nerve Pain – Sciatica

Understanding sciatica is key to helping heal faster and prevent the painful condition returning. So many people suffer needlessly with sciatica and with the right knowledge, it can be significantly reduced and reversed, even “remedied” with self care education, Myotherapy and Remedial Massage. Sciatica is the experience of sharp and shooting pain through the glut and down the leg, which can frighten a lot of people who do not fully understand what it is caused by.

Sciatica arises when there is an impingement of the sciatic nerve which is compressed by the discs of the lumber spine. How these discs come to close in and compress the nerve to create referred pain, is in being restricted by tight fascia surrounding the discs! That is how simple this condition is, and unfortunately so many people not knowing this will turn to medication.

The problem with pain drugs is that they do not treat the underlying cause of the pain as Myotherapy and remedial massage do. There are a number of leading factors that contribute to the onset of sciatica, which are assessed and addressed at our clinic Advanced Myotherapy Carlton. Understanding the biomechanics of the body is something we wish to instill in our clients, so as to facilitate long lasting results, through self awareness and lifestyle changes.

Some of the most important changes you can begin with today include regular (daily) corrective stretching. Focusing on the legs (particularly hamstrings) and gluts, to reverse sciatic nerve pain is essential to reduce pain and bring relief. Secondly, simply using a ball to lay on underneath the affected glut and hip, can help with “trigger point therapy”. Holding position where the pain is for several minutes or until fully released, can bring instant release.

The key to getting results with such self treatment at home is in holding both the stretches and the pressure of the (tennis sized) ball under the body for long enough to allow for full release. The trick can be not to release the stretch or remove the ball before this relief comes, so as to avoid “activating” the pain further. To avoid this, simply be gentle with yourself enough to be able to hold the position long enough for it to be effective in allowing the tight muscles causing the pain to fully “let go”.

Another incredibly effective self care method of treating sciatica is by applying heat (a wheat bag) to the area. Heat relaxes the tight muscles enough to let them soften to release the affected area, and take the pressure off the discs compressing the sciatic nerve. Along with these few very effective practical steps you can take at home, we use Myotherapy and Remedial Massage to manipulate the the surrounding area to allow softening and restoration of a better range of motion for less pain and restriction. This is the key to recovery when it comes to many neuro-musculo-skeletal conditions in the body that Myotherapy specialises in treating.