(Hip Pain Continued)

could do next to nothing for what we discovered was the actual cause of Trish’s chronic hip pain and related strains. After our evaluation we discovered that the root of Trish’s pain was a faulty pelvic alignment. Basically when comparing both sides of her pelvis, I found that her right side was tilted and rotated forward. This meant that the two sides of her pelvis were operating on different planes of motion and consequently could not work properly. As a result her right hip joint was rotated outward. From this simple misalignment, there were a whole host of factors introduced as her body tried to compensate.

For example, in order to feel grounded, Trish had unconsciously begun to point her right foot out in a duck-like fashion. Just by watching her standing posture, it was obvious that the turning out of her right foot was to create a wider base of support. When walking I observed that her right buttocks muscles were also functioning improperly. Rather than rotating backward along with her leg, the right side of her pelvis continued to rotate forward. Such a dysfunction would cause significant strain if Trish were to run. Just by the sheer force from running, her leg would be forced backward against what had become an almost natural position, thus resulting in the chronic hip pulls she had been experiencing. Given these discoveries, I focused my attention on her pelvic tilt and rotation as her trainers and physical therapists continued to focus on her hip.

Typically, she would immediately feel tension when she pushed off from her right foot. As a control, we tested this prior to taking her through my corrective exercises. Throughout the regiment I continually checked her pelvic alignment. By the end of our session I