A Twisted Pelvis &
the Cascade of Unexplained Pain

A twisted pelvis is an extremely common phenomenon that often remains undiagnosed. The result can be significant chronic pain that seems to have no clear explanation.

Without understanding this phenomenon, it's impossible to see the cascading muscular effects that can result. 

Back pain, hip pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, and more can potentially be traced back to this primary root cause. 

What is a twisted pelvis?

When half of the pelvis rotates in one direction, and the other half rotates in the opposite direction we call that a twisted pelvis or pelvic torsion. This puts the hip joints in a different position from one another.

In other words, the hip joints are not level with one another. One hip joint is higher and the other is lower.

The result is a functional leg-length difference.

How does this result in pain?

When the legs are a different length, we have a balance problem whenever we’re upright in gravity.

Our muscular system is not going to let us walk around like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It’s going to do its best to try to straighten us up.

It does that by contracting certain muscles to counter the force of gravity. But over time this can develop into a series of muscular contractions that become entrenched, chronic.

Certain muscles become locked, fixed, and stuck and, over time, can become the source of significant pain and strain in the body. 

The cascade of muscular effects

The progression of this cascade of muscular effects can be summarized as follows:

A twisted pelvis results in...

↓

A functional leg-length difference, which causes...

↓

A strong and comprehensive muscular response in the body to keep itself upright in gravity, which results in...

↓

An array of complex compensatory muscular contractions which, over time, can result in...

↓

Significant overuse of these muscles causing them to become ischemic (meaning reduced blood flow) and resulting in...

↓

Significant pain and strain in the body. 

Is there a solution?

Yes, definitely. Because pelvic torsion is a functional pattern, it can be corrected. Again, in this pattern the bones of the legs are NOT a different length.

This contrasts with a structural or congenital pattern in which the actual length of the leg bones is different. In such cases it can be appropriate to place a lift in one’s shoe on the side of the short leg.

But in the case of a functional pattern like a twisted pelvis (which accounts for 95% of the cases I see) a lift will only serve to reinforce the dysfunction.

What are the steps for correcting a twisted pelvis?

Correcting a twisted pelvis is accomplished by:

1) Identifying the exact nature of the pattern. 

2) Lengthening the muscles that have been locked short using a combination of manual therapy and assisted mobilization

3) Regular implementation of a series of re-patterning stretches and exercises that can be done at home.

Once a twisted pelvis is understood and corrected, compensatory muscular patterns — the root of much unexplained pain in the body — can lift and vanish.

Often muscles that have been compensating for long periods of time do require some direct help in the form of hands-on manual therapy. But once the primary trigger of compensation is removed, our muscles can often heal quite rapidly.

Once we look at the body as a whole, integrated structure, a great deal of mysterious pain in the body can be both understood and relieved.

Coming in the Fall, 2019:
Self-treatment video course to correct a twisted pelvis

I am currently in the process of developing a comprehensive home treatment video course to address the problem of a twisted pelvis. If you would like to be notified when it is released, be sure to subscribe my newsletter, Back Answers here...

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