• Skeletal System

The bones are in a position for appropriate loading to stimulate bone growth, and to position the muscles for optimal resting length tesnion.  From a sideview, the Standing plumbline markers for alignment are the earlobe, midpoint of joints: shoulder, hip, knee and ankle.  The ribcage is stacked over the pelvis, and the pelvis is stacked over the ankles.  

• Muscle System

The muscles are able to shorten and lengthen through full range of motion.   Optimal positioning of the skeletal system allows the muscles to be in a better position to move and generate force.

• ​Pressure System

Ability to generate appropriate intra-abdominal pressure.  Normalize pressures: Increased resting muscle tension can create abnormal pressures.  Pushing type strategies (bearing down) for strength and movement increase downward pressures into the abdominal wall and pelvis.

• Nervous System

Regulation of the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems.  Dysregulated autonomic nervous systems increase resting muscle tension (among other things).

Due to the resting tension in the upper abdominals there is more pressure into the lower abdominals and pelvis.  When the muscles are activated in a shortened contraction, even more pressure is created into the lower abdomen.  This constant downward pressure can have an impact on the health of the pelvic organs, abdominal wall and pelvic floor.  
Changing the pressure and muscle activation pattern is essential to recovery.  Typically, this person has no problem breathing low into the belly, but may have a hard time filling the entire abdomino-pelvic canister evenly on the inhale (generation of appropriate intra-abdominal pressure, evenly distributed 360 degrees). Home practice will require breathing practices to connect with the movement of the lower ribcage, side and back body, and then bring this new awareness and pattern into movement and daily activities.

The last two videos don't show it, but you will want to continue to move the ball down the calf.  Repeat on both sides, or just on your side of pain.  If your knees are too stiff and painful to bend as shown in the last two videos, roll up a towel and place it on top of the balls and then sit back.
You can by the Yoga Tune Up® Balls and DVDs if you want to explore the amazing products from Jill Miller and Yoga Tune Up®.

3.  Hip Release and Hip Glides:  this is a video demonstrating how to do the self mobilizations to regain normal motion.

The quadricep muscle group is comprised of 4 muscles that all share a similar attachment to the lower leg bone, the tibia. The muscles converge at the knee at the patella (knee cap) and inserts onto the tibial tuberosity.  The muscles are named for their location on the thigh:

• Vastus Lateralis -spans from the outside of the thigh to the tibial tuberosity
• Vastus Intermedius -spans from the center of the thigh to the tibial tuberosity
• Vastus Medialis- spans from the inside of the thigh to the tibial tuberosity
• Rectus Femoris- spans from the front crest (anterior inferior iliac spine) of the pelvis to the tibial tuberosity

The main action of this group is to extend (straighten) the knee and the rectus femoris will also flex the hip.  Quadricep control is important for walking, running, going up and down stairs, lunging, squatting, basically every move we make.  Having supple quadriceps is key not just for healthy knees, but for healthy feet, hips and spine.  Restrictions in the quads will affect proper loading of the foot and knee during gait.  Tightness in the rectus femoris can pull the pelvis forward into anterior rotation which increases lumbar extension and spinal compression, and can limit hip extension (being able to bring the leg behind you).

Let's face it.  Many of us are super tight, and it feels good to pull on the leg as far as you can to get a deep stretch. The stretch always feels good, but the muscles never fully let go and we have to keep stretching forever and ever.  One possible reason why the muscles don't make lasting changes is that we have a stretch reflex within the muscles that serve as a protective mechanism:  if the muscle is stretched too far beyond its limit, it will contract to prevent injury.  During stretch sessions, you may be moving beyond your tissue limit so the muscles never change!  One way to refine and meet your tissues is to scale back and use alignment markers to guide you into your stretch.
Alignment Markers:

• Maintain level shoulders and pelvis
• Keep thigh in line with hip: don't let it move out to the side, or out to the front 

We have two psoas muscles on each side of our body: psoas major and psoas minor.  This blog is specific to our psoas major.  
This summer I took a very cool tele-class from Liz Koch, of Core Awareness.  In this 5 week series we explored the location and function of the psoas and its relationship to the nervous system and our "fight/flight/freeze" response,  to our emotional well-being and to our skeletal support.
The psoas is centrally located: emerging from the midline at thoracic level 12, attaching to every lumbar vertebra and inserting into the inner thigh at the lesser trochanter.  
The psoas allows the lower limb to move and swing a as a pendulum: multidirectional/orbital.  
As a physical therapist I see many people with SI dysfunction, hip and back pain.  In almost all cases, the psoas is the top priority to rehabilitate.   On muscle testing the psoas is usually weak, and the flexibility test is usually tight.  What I have come to understand through this tele-class, through my training as a Restorative Exercise Specialist™ and as an NKT™ practitioner, is that rather than manipulate the psoas through deep tissue work and stretching, the psoas needs to rehydrate and recover from over-exhaustion.
I have compiled my favorite top 10 ways to release, rehydrate and restore the psoas.  It is helpful to perform a release before going onto the movement sequences.  Some of these are from Liz Koch's book, "The Psoas Book" and some are from the Whole Body Alignment Program.

In my practice I work with a lot of people who have low back pain, and sacroiliac (SI) pain.  How we stand, how we sit, and how we move in our bodies over time, contributes to our dysfunctions and potential pain syndromes.

Being mindful of HOW we stand and sit are simple steps to begin to unravel the increased loading and compression on the spine and SI joints, as well as the tension and pull on corresponding ligaments and muscles. 

Before going over standing and sitting, let’s look at the anatomy:  The pelvic girdle is comprised of the 2 pelvic (inominate) bones and the sacrum.  The inominate bones join in the front by a thick fibrocartilage disc similar to that of the vertebral discs.  This area is called the pubis or pubic symphysis.  In the back, the inominate bones attach to the sacrum, creating the sacroiliac joints.  

The function of the pelvic girdle is to transfer the loads between the trunk and the lower extremities via the spine and hips (lumbopelvic-hip complex).  There are 35 muscles that attach directly to the pelvic girdle.  Therefore, the mobility and stability of the SI joints depends on the interaction of these muscles, ligaments, fascia and nerves that surround the pelvic girdle.