Happy Hips Happy Back

Unwinding the belly

Cats paw

Release the Diaphragm

Find the bottom edge of your rib cage. Gently hook your fingers in and under your rib cage to massage the where the diaphragm attaches. Begin at the far right and move to the left.

Abdominal Breathing with Lumbar Release Position.

• Do this exercise every day for 3-20 minutes to relieve chronic pain and tension in the low back. The keys are optimum comfort, focus, breath & visualizing the exhales releasing through the low back.

• -Lie on your back and place your feet and calves on a chair with your knees bent at 90 degrees.

• -One at a time, gently move your knees back & forth, and side to side until you find the position that feels really comfortable on your low back. Take your time and focus on the subtle changes that take place in your back.

• -Place your palms on your belly inhale slowly and deeply. Feel your belly rise. Imagine the air gently flowing out of your low back as you exhale. Notice how your body softens on the out breath and expands on every in breath.

• -Maintain a slow even pace. Allow your exhales to be twice as long as your inhales.• -Keep your face and jaw relaxed.• If you experience discomfort in your low back at any time then gently reposition

your legs to find optimum comfort.

• “When we engage in non-weight bearing movement exercises, we remind the nervous system of the capacity for a relaxed range of movement.” (Overmyer, p.13)

Pelvic Rock with Abdominal Breathing.

• -Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor hip distance apart. • - Slightly arch your back then release it. Gently press your low back down into the

floor & feel your pubic bone curl up to the ceiling. Then release it. • -Again press your low back into the floor and push into your feet (feel the pubic

curling motion supported by the foot pressure). Now see if you can keep the belly relaxed and allow that pelvic rock to come only from pressing into your feet.

• -Begin Abdominal Breathing with long slow exhales releasing out of your low back. Maintain a relaxed rhythm of deep inhales & exhales.

• -As you exhale press through your feet so the weight is more on the soles. As the pubic bone curls up the lumbar spine flattens to the floor.

• -As you inhale release the pressure from your feet and allow the pelvis to rock back to neutral.

• -Continue rocking with your breath for 1-2 minutes. There is no need for forceful pressure. Everything flows gently and easily.

L5 Assessment• 5th Lumbar Indicator Points• --Place your hands on your hips with your

thumbs pointing to your spine. • -Run your thumbs along the top of each

hip bone (posterior Ilium/ iliac crest) as it curves down to the sacrum.

• -Feel or a slight boney protrusion called the P.S.I.S. (posterior superior iliac spine)

• -The 5th lumbar indicator point is just inside (medial) of this protrusion. Press out laterally on the inside (medial) edge of each bump. One or both sides may be tender, indicating the need for the 5th Lumbar Release.

• -The side that is most tender is called the affected side & should be addressed first.

L5 Correction5th Lumbar Release Position-Lay diagonally on the bed face down with the affected side close to the edge. Hang the affected leg off the bed so that your knee points to the floor and your foot rests lightly on the ground.-Give in to gravity. Do not try to support yourself from your low back or groin. If you have difficulty relaxing, then place a chair or a pillow under the knee.-Relax deeply in this position for 2-3 minutes.

-*Come out of this position by sliding your other leg off the bed. Slowly put weight on BOTH feet to stand up. (If you try to lift the hanging leg then you might reestablish the painful tension pattern).

High Hip assessment

• Find the lateral most top of pelvis. Find the midline of the side body. Place your thumbs in at a right angle and notice which hip is higher. It helps to use your belly button as a guide and imagine a straight line from one thumb to the other. Is the line level?

Q.L. Release• -Lay on your side with the high hip

up towards the ceiling; knees are bent. Place a pillow under your head. Make sure that your head shoulders and hips are in line. Don’t let your upper body curl in.

• - Place a stool or chair behind you. Gently roll back and place your top calf on the seat of the chair behind you. Let your top elbow slide back. Let your upper buttock fall back towards the floor but don’t actually touch the floor.

• - Relax here for 1-2 minutes breathing deep into your belly.

General Low Back Release

• These are side lying exercises so place a pillow under your head for comfort. Lay on a firm surface. Stay within a comfortable range of motion. There should be no discomfort during these exercises.

• Isometric• -Lay on your side with your knees bent like you are sitting in a

chair. Grasp your knees & as you exhale slowly press your knees into your hands. The movement extends through the hips, curling the pubic bone forward and presses the low back away from your knees.

• -Gently release your hands and straighten your legs, allowing them to complete the movement they were trying to make.

Q.L. exercise to increase ease of motion.

-Lay on your side with knees bent at 90 degrees. -Keeping your knees in place, slowly lift your ankles up towards the sky and then slowly lower. Repeat 4 times.-Place a cushion under your feet. Gently push your feet down into the cushion while breathing deep for 20 seconds.-Remove the cushion & repeat the ankle lifts checking for comfort & ease.-Repeat on the other side. Notice if 1 side is easier than the other & always exercise the easy side first.

Hip Rotation

Assess Hip Rotation

• Hip Rotation: Place thumbs perpendicular to the top of the pelvis at the mid-point of the side body. Then run your forefinger down the ridge of the pelvis until you reach a small boney crest or bump called the A.S.I.S. (anterior superior iliac spine.) Notice if one hip is rotated forward (anterior rotation) or back (posterior rotation).

-Find the hip rotation indicator points and notice if they are tender. Work with the most tender hip first.

Correct Hip Rotations

• - If both hips are twisted; Exagerate the imbalance. Lay on your belly placing a rolled towel under the thigh of the hip rotating forward (anterior). Place another rolled towel under the hip crease of the posteriorly rotated hip. Turn your head to the side that feels most relaxed & breath deep into your belly for 1-2 minutes.

Correction for Posterior hip rotation

Lie on your belly and bring the knee of the affected side out to the side like a frog. Make certain it is a comfortable position. Lay here relaxed & breathing into the belly for 1-2 mins.

Correction for Anterior hip rotation

• Come to the corner of the bed with the rotated side closest to the bed. Come forward so the top of your thigh is on the bed and keep your shoulders over your hips. Make sure this position is comfortable. Relax here breathing into your belly for 30 seconds-1 min.

Side Saddle Somatics• Sit side saddle with knees pointing to

the front (you may place a folded blanket or pillow under the front thigh and hip). Place your hands on your hips. Rock your tail bone to the back wall Inhale. Exhale: tuck your tailbone under. Repeat 10-12 times moving with your breath!

• Place your hand on your side thigh. Inhale: roll your thigh down so that your fingers roll down toward the ground. Exhale: return to starting position. Repeat 10-12 times.

• Repeat both exercises on the other side.

• March in place slowly 10 times.

Sacroiliac Joint Exercises:Painting Circles

Lay on your belly. Bend one knee with your foot pointing to the sky. Slowly paint big circles in the air with your toes and be aware of the positions with the most comfort and ease and pause and rest for a few breathes in them. Repeat on the other side.

Sacroiliac Joint Exercises: Crisscross

Lay face down with your knees bent. Remember to move slowly. Let your feet fall out to the sides and then come back in crossing your ankles like an “X.” Repeat for 1-2 minutes.

Foot Rub

Lay on your belly with your knees bent and feet in the air. Rub your feet together. Be sure to get all sides and angles of your feet, top s and soles. Then use one foot to rub down the inside calf of the opposite leg.

Tennis Ball Gluteal Release• Lay on your back with your feet on the floor and place a tennis ball in the

middle of each buttock even with (but not on) your tailbone. Breathe and relax here for 1 min.

• Slowly bring your knees into your chest and draw 5 large circles with your knee caps. Circle in the opposite direction too.

• Slowly take the knees in opposite circles like an old fashion egg beater 5 times. Then switch directions.

• Place the feet on the floor & bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open. Breath here for 1 min.

• Then take your legs out straight on breath here for 1 min. • Then bend your knees keeping your feet on the floor and scoot your hips

toward the top of your matt rolling those tennis balls up ½ and inch toward the top of the pelvis.

• Repeat the entire sequence in this position.

The Iliopsoas

Iliopsoas Stretch

-Crescent lunge with back knee on the floor. (If you had an Anterior hip rotation then stretch the affected leg back 2 times. Example; right leg back, then left, then right again)

Keegle Exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor

Tension in calves and hamstrings can lead to and/or exacerbate low back pain.

Release the hamstrings:

• Lay on your back with one leg up. Place a strap behind your calf. Keep your leg straight and pull your strap into your face as you lower your leg. Let the resistance of the strap be just enough to prevent movement without causing strain. Hold of 6-10 seconds then release you leg down to the ground. Repeat 3 times and then switch to the other leg