I just finished up with the chiropractor, and I'm a little depressed, a little relieved, and a little confused. The depression is the main emotion at the moment so pardon my writing style if is seems apathetic. I just feel like writing my thoughts somewhere to help get them out of my head and hopefully allow me to see the big picture at once, rather than focusing on all the little details.
Sean, I will start by saying that I need some help buddy. Dr. Medsker went over my X-rays with me today and I have invaluable information about myself that I plan to use to help me become optimal. The first abnormality is in my cervical vertebrae. Basically, my neck doesn't have the natural curve it should and is pretty much straight. This was likely caused by constant "whiplash" forces that disrupted development during my youth. I wrestled for ten years starting in elementary school, so it was probably the constant head snapping that did it. This is completely fixable simply by laying supine with a little ball under my neck for it to bend over (15-20 minutes per night for about six months). Cool!
The larger problem is my lumbar spine and pelvis. I have six lumbar vertebrae instead of five because the top sacrum vertebrae split off and made a clean cut away instead of fusing like it should have. This has no adverse or advantageous effects and won't cause me any issues. However, it is positioned at a 35 degree angle instead of the normal 50ish degrees lumbar spine normally is, and Dr. Medsker says this gives me an anterior pelvic tilt.
Additionally, my pelvis is uneven and just a complete mess, but all completely correctable. There is about a 11mm difference in between my right and left illiac crests, and my right side also rotates slightly forward. Again, correctable.
The Game PlanI know I could do all this myself because I have the skill and the knowledge, but I just WANT someone to help guide me through it - for support. Sean, please help me get a game plan laid out, and perhaps talk about your opinion because I could really use your guidance at the moment.
I'm currently reading through the
Neanderthal No More series by Eric Cressey. Although I have x-rays and the such showing my pelvic issues, the anterior tilt doesn't make sense because I don't have an excessive lumbar curve. However, perhaps that is because of the 6th vertebrae, and an anterior tilt would also explain why my lower abs stick out more than the rest.
Regardless, I plan to take pictures and go through the series because I may as well fix everything at once with corrective exercises if I am going to do so with the pelvis. I will send the pictures to Sean if he agrees to help me so that I get his input, and when the dieting phase is over I would like to focus on "fixing" myself. Eat at maintenance, don't get fat, don't lose weight, maintain strength, and FOCUS ON CORRECTIVE STUFF!
That is the game plan: diet then corrective - for however long it takes. Dr. Medsker says it should take about 6 months but I only have 22 visits left covered under insurance. I'm not willing to pay $40 per session to spend 2 minutes getting my back cracked, and since I know what is wrong I am positive that I can fix myself with proper exercise and stretches that work to actually create an imbalance that will pull my pelvis back to where it should be.
The final thing that I need Sean's professional input on is the exercises. Medsker says no loading it, but I haven't had any issues or pain EVER, and I don't know why I couldn't load it. I will have to ask him on Wednesday when I go back again to get my neck ball and learn his basic corrective techniques he wants me to perform. I really, really, really don't want to give up squats, RDLs, or OHP because they are such awesome movements. Why can't I do them to maintain strength and then add in corrective exercise? Why shouldn't I do them?
Edit to add: I feel better now. Been doing some reading on the anterior pelvic tilt, and I'm pretty sure I have it. There can be many causes, but the ones that I came across that seem to apply to me are shown below.
Factors such as having more lumbar vertebrae allowing for too much flexibility.
An individual has a leg shorter than the other.
Abdominal muscles are weaker than the muscles in the lumbar spine and the hamstring muscles.
Appears I need to do some American deadlifts, hanging leg raises, and extra abdominal work, while staying away from spinal loading because the muscles there are too strong.