A perfectly balanced body starts with a level pelvis.
The pelvis carries the spine, the shoulder girdles and the head. If it is crooked, everything above it must compensate to maintain a posture that is as erect as possible. And over time, it’s the soft tissue compensation that starts to give you symptoms.
Pelvic symmetry is typically assessed if the complaint is pain or loss of motion in the hip, low back, or SI joint. But quite a few people don’t have symptoms in these areas. They develop problems further up in the chain – in the neck, the upper trapezius, TMJ or shoulder. And these problems persist if the pelvic asymmetry is not corrected.
Myofascial release looks at the body through a wider lens. It looks to balance the skeleton and alleviate unnecessary tension in the entire myofascial system. And the process begins by assessing the pelvis.
Soft tissue restrictions in this area can cause one side of the pelvis to be pulled upward or rotate forward or backward. Some people notice that they no longer feel level when they stand, tending to shift their weight over one leg. A lot of times an uneven pelvis results in the feeling that one leg is longer than another or that your trunk is being pulled to one side. And most importantly, an uneven pelvic can tip you forward – and before you know it, your posture is starting to resemble your grandmother’s. That forward head and shoulder problem we all experience can be triggered by pelvic asymmetry.
Sometimes the cues that the pelvis is unlevel are more subtle. Symptoms may include constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, and increased menstrual cramping. And due to the sacrum’s role in promoting cerebrospinal flow throughout the central nervous system, pelvic asymmetry can contribute to mental fog, difficulty relaxing, poor sleep, chronic fatigue and chronic irritability.
Pelvic asymmetry is quite common. The pelvis handles the weight of the body and the impacts experienced with every step you take. It takes the shock of impact when you fall, miss a step and land with a jolt, when you jump, run, or become pregnant. With all these stresses on a day to day basis, taking time to try to alleviate unnecessary tension tugging on the pelvic ring is well worth the effort. And the effects are wide spread.