Open Shoulders = Open Hips

Open shoulders = open hips? This has been a question I have been pondering for a while now, so I thought I would share the deep dive into my brain. You may or may not want to go into my brain and my thoughts, so read at your own risk 🙂 I will start from the beginning with what got me curious, then talk about a patient example and finally using myself as an example. The bottom line is that the shoulder and hips are connected and when one is not functioning properly we often see issues with the other.

Where this all started

My ruminations started a number of years ago when I took the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) training and was introduced to the Selective Functional Movement Assessment for those of us who might not be Olympic athletes. Both screenings are what physical therapists call a series of functional tests. They look at ROM, muscle strength and neuromuscular control to determine ares of “weakness”, stiffness, and lack of muscle coordination that might put us more at risk of injury during out sports. The testing not only shows us how interconnected the body is, but gives us a launching point so we can address lack of mobility or motor control to restore controlled muscle function and range of motion allowing individuals to enjoy their favorite activities with less pain and stiffness and less risk of injury.

I found myself teaching patients to stretch the upper spine and shoulders, to practice core strengthening that targeted realigning their pelvis, and practice muscle training exercises for the rotators of the shoulders and the hips. Together we often found that when there was a lack of mobility in the joints of the spine, shoulder, or hips, then the muscles couldn’t really do their job to create the movements we wanted for our favorite activity without causing pain and stiffness. We needed to establish balance in these areas to restore optimal movement and ease.

You are in luck! Body in Tune would love to collaborate with you to assess your version of the stiff and achy and to help you feel spry and flexible.

The shoulders as a way into the hips

Over the years in the clinic I have seen a multitude of patients with stiffness in the hips causing lower back pain. One in particular comes to mind. She was a breast cancer survivor who wanted to exercise more consistently but was struggling with hip pain and stiffness. What we discovered was that the stiffness in her chest and shoulders from her mastectomy and cancer treatments were linked to the new stiffness and lack of mobility in her hips and her lower back pain.

So we had to take the full body approach. A guided yoga practice and manual therapy that focused on the shoulder area before the pelvic floor muscles, hips and lower back, we had faster and better results. We were able to restore the mobility and freedom of movement she wanted in her body. It also gave her the strength and motor control to now use this new range of motion in more activities.

We designed a home practice that included longer, sustained stretches and a slower movement practice to allow for longer holds in poses to awaken and balance the muscles around the shoulders and hips. The human body is amazing at how it responds to intentional movement and the gentle pressures of myofascial release.

In case you are curious Body in Tune would love to collaborate with you to help you rid yourself of the stiff and achy body.

In my body

Over the years I have used my body as a testing ground after each training or education course I attended. I tell my patients and clients that I only give exercises to them that I have tried myself.

On the FMS and SFMA I failed miserably in the arenas of shoulder range of motion and motor control or rotational control of my spine. The lack of motion in my shoulders, aka rounded shoulder posture with my head sticking out forward of my shoulders, appears to equate to my chronic upper back and neck pain and stiffness. The poor rotational motor control in my spine (aka muscles that are not really stabilizing my spine when I twist) equates to my stiff hips and off and on back issues.

Gosh, I sound like I’m a mess! And truth be told, I really don’t feel that bad. But the issues have changed my activities and enjoyment of activities quite a bit. For instance I stopped running and swimming because they just seemed to aggravate the neck, lower back, and hip pain and stiffness.

Good thing yoga came in to my life! It has offered ways to make inroads into these issues. For one I am more accepting of what my body will tolerate and make different choices about how hard to push myself because I may or may not want to “deal with” the results and recovery time. Secondly, yoga has offered ways to support my body with postures that are beginning to ease the tension in my neck, shoulders, and upper back. I am no longer attending to the sore muscles, rather I am focusing on gaining mobility where it is lacking. As this improves I am finding muscles that were dormant that are activating on their own without repeated theraband exercises. All told, for me yoga is creating a path towards less pain and stiffness.

Good news! Body in Tune would love to collaborate with you to teach you this precise yoga practice and to support your ongoing practice so you can enjoy your life off the mat with confidence.

Yoga Moves in all Three Planes of Motion

Our bodies move in all three planes of motion, forward/backward, side-to-side, and twisting. When we have stiffness in one joint, for example the shoulder, we will have another that moves too much, for example the hip, to make up the difference so that we can continue doing the activity. So we need our joints to have the mobility to do this and we need the muscle coordination to keep the joints in alignment and to control the amount of motion. When that doesn’t happen some muscles work too hard and then get stiff or the joint is pushed too far one direction and gets inflamed from repeated pressure. What I have noticed is that while the SFMA may show my PT brain where the issues lie, my yoga practice and teaching builds on this to create controlled range of motion and alignment within the body. In this way we can create the mobility and stability we want so that there are fewer instances of the stiff and achy body from a hike, a bike ride, or a day with the grand kids.

Body in Tune, LLC was born from a belief that quality of life matters; both life and physical balance matters.

I would welcome the opportunity to be part of your support team with regards to women’s health, your muscles, joints, bones and osteoporosis. The goal is, after all, to help you feel confident in your body so you can play with your grand children, take that long-dreamed of vacation and get outside and enjoy a walk with friends.