Adventures in Being

Without moving, look at your feet.
Now read the article below which can also be found here.

It is time for people to understand how to sit in the car. “What do you mean?” some may ask. Well how many of you have piriformis syndrome? How many of you have it on the left side?

What we have found at Trigger Point Technologies is that 90% of all people dealing with piriformis syndrome have it on the left side and drive quit a bit throughout the week. We also see the same relationship with driving and IT band syndrome.

The other 10% are right-handed, sit at a desk for long periods of time, and love cruise control. Look at how you sit. Does your knee go to the outside and does your foot roll to the outside as your arch come off the ground?

If you look at the position you sit in while driving, you might want to change it. We’ve found that most swing the left leg toward the door (Look at your knee, is it off to the left?), thus allowing the piriformis to shorten while also curling the foot outward and upward so that the foot rests on the outside of the shoe. This allows the soleus to shorten.

Whether in the car, in the office, or standing, the way you position your body can affect overall biomechanics. Take a look at the pictures below which demonstrate poor posture.

In any of these positions above, your back is slightly slanted to the side. Because this puts a strain on the QL and other lower back muscles, the piriformis, sacroiliac (SI) joint, and general lower back problems are exacerbated.

We suggest you use either the TP Baller Block or the TP Massage Ball™ to break the pattern of LDLS (Left Drivers Leg Syndrome) and other poor posture habits.

In the car, place the TP Baller Block between your thigh and the door panel. This will cause you to sit more erectly and attentively. At the same time, the placement of the block will not allow your leg to move out towards the door - thus keeping proper alignment. Eventually, this will retrain your thought process about the proper way to sit.

In the office, placing the Baller Block between the knees will create proper body alignment and prevent the knees and hips from rotating outward. Remember to keep your feet flat on the floor to prevent shortening of the soleus muscle.

When standing, the Baller Block can be used between the knees to enhance alignment of the knees and hips. By standing squarely without one hip hiked, weight is evenly distributed throughout the body and joints.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Think about it: as LDLS occurs, the soleus and the calves tighten, reducing dorsiflexion of the foot and making your quads take all the absorption of each step when you run or walk. As your quads become overworked and tight, your TFL and psoas also become tight and short. Your psoas connects in the middle of your back - T12 to be exact. When tight, it compresses the lower back (L4 and L5 region). This causes your pelvis to tilt. This results in IT band problems, lower-back pain and an entire cycle that is hard to break.

You are going to have to treat the soleus, quads and piriformis to stop the cycle