by Chris Watts

I have worked in the field of soft tissue therapy for 10 years now and having just returned from Saudi where I worked on 33 elite Squash players, I think I am entitled to stick my neck out (not too far!) and boldly state that most sportsmen that I have had the pleasure to work with share common lower body dysfunctions as a result of muscle imbalances in the pelvis.

Let’s have a quick look at the pelvis.  This power-house where all movement stems from has only has 3 joints to worry about- 2 are sacro-illiac joints and the other is the pubic symphisis. To have good articulation and balance these joints must be free to move smoothly in all directions. Remember the pelvis works a bit like a gyro in relationship to the spine. . Imagine balancing a 15 pound pumpkin on the end of a short broom handle and holding that handle right at the base. Guess what? That base is your pelvis. It is in constant motion in attempt to keep the body structure aligned.

There are at least 29 muscles that originate or insert into your pelvis. Some people talk of 33. For example the Psoas minor is not always present. To appreciate the understanding of posture and alignment it is important to see how muscles and soft tissues react to faulty loading or postural imbalances. Postural muscles such as the Erector Spinae which hold our spines upright are classified as stabilisers, they help to keep the joint structurally in place whilst the phasic muscles such as mid trapezius and rhomboids help to create movement or mobilise the joint. Postural muscles are more powerful than phasic as they have more work to do! Their slow twitch fibres are more apt to work longer and harder. With pelvic imbalances these postural muscles will shorten, tighten and pull the structure out of alignment while the smaller phasic muscles become weak and overused and therefore inhibited. This naturally leads to poor joint alignment and function.
If the pelvis is tilted, torqued and rotated, the whole kinetic chain will be affected and your structural platform will crumble. It will be as if you are trying to hold up the leaning tower of Pisa with a scaffold!

Back to those pelvic muscles; Some of the largest muscles in the body insert into your pelvis. If tightness occurs in one or two of these postural muscles from overload (eg. Quads) the whole pelvis will be affected due to their close proximity. The interaction of these pelvic muscles and their respective bony attachments will determine how effectively you can transfer energy and efficiency and power to your joints to allow for the most efficient movement patterns.

Here are some symptoms of Pelvic Imbalances:

• Lower back pain that seems non-specific and jumps from side to side.
• Knee pain anterior, medial and lateral. Again the pain can be non-specific
• Adductor Magnus can get sore and tight and tilt the pelvis on the contracted side
• Fatigue due to muscular overload and poor circulation into the tight tissues
• Gluteal (buttock) and hamstring tightness slowing you down and reducing endurance

From my experience, the most important postural/pelvic muscle group to work with is the Illiopsoas of hip-flexor group. Vital in maintaining flexibility in the lumbar spine and integral in sustaining general pelvic muscle balance. 80% of the sportsmen that I work with present with anterior pelvic tilts that range from a 10 degree angle all the way to 30 degrees. The cause in my view is mainly due to over-loaded and over-contracted Illiopsoas and Quadriceps which pull and drag the pelvis forwards. All the Abdominal strengthening in the world will not help them to rebalance their pelvic tilts. Comprehensive Stretching and soft-tissue lengthening of the shortened structures are essential to realign the imbalances. When the stretching work is done, the strengthening of the gluteals, hamstrings and transverse abdominals can take place to assist in keeping the pelvic platform straight and stable.

I would highly recommend for the sake of prevention, having a comprehensive postural assessment to check functional range of movement and structural asymmetry prior to undertaking your sporting activities. The consequences of overloading joints and wear and tear of knee and lower back structures can be a life-time of pain and rehabilitation.