The patient is a teenage tennis player who presented to the office with chronic low back pains which only really showed up with follow through on back stroke.
In assessing muscle and movement function, think of Buckminster Fuller’s tensegrity model, where muscle tension and strength balance is crucial, much like with a suspension bridge.
Findings were as follows: The left Oblique Abs, deep Thoracic spinal rotators and Right lumbar Erector spinae muscles were out of balance with each other. And her Atlas (C1), Sacrum and hip were out of alignment. The hip Adductors and Piriformis were also out of balance with each other, as were the Quadratus Lumborum (QL) and the Gluteus Medius. On follow up we also discovered that the pubic symphysis was also out of alignment. This is a vertical joint in the front of the pelvis which is often overlooked and can throw off the whole low back and pelvis. In addition, the deep ligaments of the low back, sacrum and Ilium were overly contracted – a hint that muscles are out of balance.
It took a good five visits to correct these findings. We used chiropractic adjustments, Active Release Technique (ART), Myofascial Decompression (Cupping), Rocktape (Kineseotape) and SPRT taping with Leukotape to correct an aberrant fascial pull pattern. But at the end of these five visits, the patient was able to play tennis and even go away for a month to a tennis camp and play without pain.
When working with an athlete, it is even more crucial to address all the components of movement involved in their sport. I imagine it is similar to working on a Porsche vs a Honda – they are both cars but one will need more finesse to run correctly. And much like working on a new car vs an older one, young athletes (and students in general) usually respond quickly and well to care.