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pelvic imbalance
Got back from the doc today, he looked at the x-rays and mri, and nothing showed, he then proceeded to have me do some basic stretches, he made me lay down on a table with bent knees, pick up my feet and abduct my femur while he pushed on the inside of both of my thighs, one side was much more flexible than the other and he said it's most likely a pelvic imbalance (right side of pelvis is higher than left side, right side is pushed up and in), gave me "corrective exercises" and said not to do the exercises on the other side or it will "cancel out" the right side and to not lift for a while. Should I train or should I take the docs advice?
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Type this into a google search window: site:startingstrength.com pelvic imbalance
You will find that this has been discussed in detail many times here.
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X-rays and MRI of what?Originally Posted by jake272
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Of my back.
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You know how sort out a "pelvic imbalance"? Squat symmetrically with correct form. Then do the same thing next time with more weight. Your doctor's intentions were probably good but his advice was bullshit.
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My doctor had me do all the left and right side testing for strength and flexibility when I hurt my back as well. None of her corrective exercises helped at all. You know what stopped my 6 year bout of back pain? Squatting and deadlifting. Living pain free now.
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squats are good an all but some of you people act like just performing the lift correctly is going to cause magical effects.
if someone has a twisted/tilted pelvis correctly performed low bars aren't just going to fix it.
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Squats actually do correct this.
You're battling against a lifetime of cross hand-leg dominance...but squats do a good job.
Nor will any corrective exercises. Unfortunately studies show no change in things like patellar position, pelvis orientation, etc, as a result of commonly-prescribed corrective exercises. In many cases this is because it's actually about the bony anatomy: the acetabulum may be forward and down on one side and high and back on the other. No exercise can change your bones' structure.
But even when it's just muscular: I'm right-handed. Should I stop lifting until my left arm is as strong as my right? Our bodies are never perfectly symmetrical. There are always imbalances, the question is, is the imbalance gross enough to cause pain or hinder movement? And in most cases it's not. So we look at the pain and hindered movement. And in most cases, ordinary old squats and presses reduce pain and improve movement, movement is faster and through a greater range of motion.
With both corrective and normal exercises, I have never seen an imbalance completely balance out. But what I do see - with ordinary, not corrective exercise - is the ratio improve. Instead of right side 10 units of strength and left side 5, it's right 50 and left 45. The imbalance is still there, but both sides are a lot stronger and while the absolute difference is the same, the relative difference is smaller.
Obviously if the imbalance is gross, we need a closer eye on the lift than with the mythical symmetrical person, and we need to progress the resistance more slowly, so that the weaker side can catch up.
It's not magical, Matt. I specialise in people with all sorts of gimpyness, as a twisted-backed fucked-knee fucked-shoulder mutant it's what I know best. Arthritis, scoliosis, herniated discs whatever - the issue is never cured. But we greatly reduce the frequency and severity of flareups of the issue. And this is the best you get whatever the treatment. Correct movement is the best corrective.
Last edited by Kyle Schuant; 11-16-2015 at 07:26 PM.
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That's a rather large area. I'm quite sure the radiographer wasn't instructed to image your "back"
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