Hello Esther. I want to thank you for your book on correcting posture to minimize back and neck pain - I am a young new mother who has been suffering from both for some time now and I am hoping your book will be my lifeline. Thank you also for including your email address for readers - I appreciate the opportunity to ask questions since I am a little confused about how to position my pelvis.
I have been told by physiotherapists that I have a "flat lumbar spine" - what this means exactly, I"m not sure, but when I read your description of how to position the pelvis for stretchsitting or stacksitting, I am not sure I am in the right pelvic alignment. When I sit, are my sitz bones to be directly on the seat of the chair? does this mean I am in an anteverted pelvis position? If so, is it normal for my low back to be relatively flat still? The pictures in your book sort of make it look like there should be more of a curve where my low back meets the buttock, with more buttock material sticking out (which it doesn't really do - perhaps because I don't have much of a butt!!!). If I try to tip forward more, I end up with a pinch in my low back - which I have been told is a sign of compressing a disc and therefore bad posture. Obviously, I want to have a stable foundation before I continue to work on these techniques and I appreciate your feedback about this situation.
Also, any advice for sore sitz bones? I find it very uncomfortable to sit directly on them for any significant amount of time, perhaps again, because I don't have much padding on them. Should I expect this discomfort to dissipate as I become more accustom to the position?
I look forward to your response and to learning more from your book.
Sincerely, Melissa Heidebrecht
I have been told by physiotherapists that I have a "flat lumbar spine" - what this means exactly, I"m not sure, but when I read your description of how to position the pelvis for stretchsitting or stacksitting, I am not sure I am in the right pelvic alignment. When I sit, are my sitz bones to be directly on the seat of the chair? does this mean I am in an anteverted pelvis position? If so, is it normal for my low back to be relatively flat still? The pictures in your book sort of make it look like there should be more of a curve where my low back meets the buttock, with more buttock material sticking out (which it doesn't really do - perhaps because I don't have much of a butt!!!). If I try to tip forward more, I end up with a pinch in my low back - which I have been told is a sign of compressing a disc and therefore bad posture. Obviously, I want to have a stable foundation before I continue to work on these techniques and I appreciate your feedback about this situation.
Also, any advice for sore sitz bones? I find it very uncomfortable to sit directly on them for any significant amount of time, perhaps again, because I don't have much padding on them. Should I expect this discomfort to dissipate as I become more accustom to the position?
I look forward to your response and to learning more from your book.
Sincerely, Melissa Heidebrecht
8 hours 59 min ago
09/10/2008 - 8:36pm
When you come back to this, yes, you do want your sitz bones on the chair. Don't ever force your pelvis to a point where there is discomfort. It's normal for the back above L5-S1 to be somewhat flat. If you don't have much butt flesh yet, don't worry about it - you'll develop some muscle there from glidewalking.
This work is cyclic - each piece helps the other piece. So familiarize yourself with all of it, but focus on creating length in your spine first. I think of it as "preparing the clay" for future remodeling.