Lower Back Pain

Muscles in the legs must be supple to effectively absorb and dissipate force.  If they are not, forces from the ground will bypass the legs and be transferred to the lower back.  Most lower back pain is commonly diagnosed as a ligament, disc, pinched nerve or muscle inflammation as the cause.  In reality it is the result of imbalances in the pelvis placing pressure on the injured structure.  For pain relief treatments for lower back pain, establishing length in the powerful quadriceps (thigh) muscles often relieves pressure in the area by correcting a forward tilt of the pelvis.  With reduced pressure, structures have a chance to heal.  Especially treatments post surgery.

Mid Back Pain

Shortened locked hamstrings and calves will cause a backwards weight shift of the body, therefor to balance against gravity, the shoulders and head are misplaced forwards to counterbalance.  This rounding of the mid back puts much pressure on the vertebrae.  Treatments targeting hamstring, chest and arm muscles will allow the shoulders to be in a better position to take pressure from the thoracic vertebrae.

Hip Pain

Hip pain on one side is the result of a leg length difference.  Shortened muscles in one hip will pull the leg up into the hip socket, giving the appearance of a shorter leg.  The hip joint in the ‘longer leg’ now must absorb more pressure, because the ground reaction force is greater when standing or running.  If surgery is required on the ligament in the hip, treatments to release muscles in the pelvis to even leg length will allow even pressure to be absorbed in both hips and decrease surgery recovery time.

Neck Pain

The eyes are always maintaining alignment with the horizon.  If there is a shoulder drop or rotation on one side, the head will tilt to remain upright and looking forward.  This will cause imbalance in the neck muscles and pressure on the vertebrae in the neck.  The head can also misplace forward in response to a misplacement of the hips.  This will place immense pressure at the base of the skull and cause headaches.  For pain relief, treatments for the neck involve addressing muscles to align the pelvis and shoulders 

Wrist/Elbow/
Hand Pain

Faulty shoulder alignment will affect nerve and bloodflow to structures in the arm.  Whether it is tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, or RSI, treatments to correct the mechanics and muscle function in the neck and shoulders must be achieved.  Blood and nerve flow to the arm is essential for healing and will always be disrupted with poor shoulder alignment. 

Ankle/Calf/
Foot Pain

If orthotics are not helping, often faulty hip mechanics will be the cause of injury as the whole bodies weight will be bearing down on the foot and ankle structures abnormally.  The lower leg structures are in an unfavourable position to absorb shock against the unforgiving ground.  For treatments for the ankle, or resolution of pain in the plantar fascia or Achilles tendon, postural alignment (especially the hips) is essential.  Hamstrings and muscles on the inside of the legs must be supple so there is adequate nerve and bloodflow to the lower leg for increased healing.

Knee Pain

The knee is designed as a hinge joint.  A strength deficit in the hip or poor ankle range of motion will cause a sideways deviation of the knee, especially when running.  Limitations in torso rotation will mean that extra torsion is required in the knee joints when the body is rotating to complete a golf swing or hit a tennis ball.  The torso, hip and ankle must be addressed so the knee can hinge like it should and limit any unnecessary sideways or torsional motion which irritates the joint.  This will also increase performance in sports.  

Shoulder Pain

When the shoulders are rotated one way, the pelvis will be rotated the opposite way as a counterbalance to stand against gravity.  Muscles and joint structures will be loaded abnormally, causing pressure and reduced range of motion in the shoulder.  For pain relief treatment of the shoulder , releasing muscles to decrease pelvis rotation will help the shoulder align.  Releasing muscles in the mid back will increase scapular and rotator cuff mobility.

Hamstring Tears

Most tears result from running or jumping.  Faulty hip alignment and tight muscles in the back have already lengthened and strained the hamstring.  When the hamstring muscle is called on to stretch further during a forceful movement, the muscle gives way suddenly.  Stretching, strengthening and ice never clears the cause of the tear.  The back and misaligned pelvis keep aggravating the fibers trying to reconnect and heal.  Stretching may further aggravate the tear.  A lot of pressure and pain relief on the hamstring will be initially achieved by releasing the back and aligning the pelvis.  Hamstring fibers can now realign and increased blood flow to the area speeds healing.  I have also found that the use of the Physiokey device is very, very effective for tears.  The site of the tear can be gently worked on with minimal pressure and aggravation.  This combination of modalities to take pressure from the hamstring through alignment and working directly on the area to reduce inflammation greatly speeds recovery, reducing injury time by weeks.