Torqued Pelvis

[Karyn]

I've recently been informed by a new Chiropractor that my pelvis is severely rotated. I'm wondering how many of us in this community are suffering the serious and vast consequences this entails? Just to name a few are: SIJD, Piriformis Syndrome, various muscle, tendon, ligament, joint, and nerve damage/dysfunction.
I'm having quite a difficult time finding scientific info. Most of the internet hits I'm getting are either from blogs, or from people who are trying to sell you something/lure you into their practice. Has anyone been successfully treated for this? Sounds like a simple adjustment, but ...
From going to PT a couple of years ago, I was aware that my sacrum "shifted" and had months of unsuccessful treatments for SIJD. I was not aware my entire pelvis was torqued.
Anyone have anything to contribute?

[Faith]

Sorry to hear that your pelvis is rotated. I agree I think many of us are dealing with multiple pelvic issues especially SIJD. When you say torqued, what exactly do you mean? Did the chiropractor explain exactly where your dysfunction is i.e. upslip/downslip, left/right anterior/posterior rotated ilium, sacral torsion/tilt, pubic symphysis malalignment? I have found that a lot of PT's know a little about SIJD, but only a few are really qualified to treat severe cases of SIJD (like us who also have nerve involvement) just like a lot more PT's know about pelvic floor pain than those who actually understand PN treatment. Probably whoever was treating you unscuessfully for the last 2 years didn't correct all the dysfunction. Many PT's focus only on the ilium and not on the sacrum, but if the sacrum is out of alignment no amount of correcting the ilium will keep alignment because the sacrum will pull it back out, if that makes sense. This is what I am learing anyways. There is a pretty good support group on facebook for SIJD. You also want to find a PT who focuses on manual therapy of the spine, especially the pelvis. Not easy I know. You might be able to find one here http://www.aaompt.org/index.cfm I am putting my focus on my pelvic alignment issues right now in hopes I will be able to avoid surgery.

Have you thought about going to Cornwall for treatment, like Lernica did?

[Lernica]

Welcome to the club, Karyn. I wonder what caused your pelvis to torque? As you know, mine was (is) an undiagnosed labral hip tear for ten years. Have you had a hip MRI to rule out a labral tear? How does your chiro propose to fix it? Maybe he/she could talk to Dr. Andrew in Cornwall? The dearth of medical literature is probably because doctors generally don't treat muscular issues; only PTs, chiros and RMT's do. And they don't tend to publish articles in medical journals.

You're lucky that your PN surgery worked despite the torque in your pelvis! I suspect that it is one reason why surgery fails in some people, since the cause of the pressure on the PN nerve -- twisted muscles and ligaments due to the misaligned pelvis -- still exists.

As you know, the route I am taking to rebalance my pelvis (besides shockwave therapy) is hip surgery to fix the labral tear, but that obviously won't work for you. Best of luck in your search for a solution to correct your pelvis torque.

[Violet M]

Karyn, you could try contacting Jerry Hesch to see if there is someone in your area who is trained to use his manual therapy methods. HerMajesty had very good results from seeing him.

[Karyn]

When you say torqued, what exactly do you mean?

My pelvis is rotated. Not sure on the particulars of that yet. I have plenty of time to ask him, though, as I'm seeing him 3x a week for the next 2 weeks. I spent 2 hours with him last week, mostly med history discussion and examination. No treatments as of yet. Probably start tomorrow.

I agree I think many of us are dealing with multiple pelvic issues especially SIJD.

In most cases, a torqued, or misaligned pelvis is what causes SIJD. SIJD really isn't a diagnosis, any more than myofacial pelvic pain syndrome. It's a symptom of something else.

Have you thought about going to Cornwall for treatment, like Lernica did?

No. Not yet.

I wonder what caused your pelvis to torque?

Well, that's what we need to find out. First impression is the catalyst that caused the PNE and other pelvic neuropathies. My uterus and lower abdomen swelled to mimick a 6 month pregnancy, very suddenly. The consequences were two-fold: First the extreme pressure squished my pelvic nerves. Second, that same pressure possibly knocked my pelvis out of alignment. Think about it ... when a woman is pregnant, this process is gradual. I had no time for my bones to gently shift and expand, no time for a hormone secretion to make the ligaments more pliable, extreme nerve pain causing the muscles to shorten and go into spasm, etc ....

mine was (is) an undiagnosed labral hip tear for ten years.

How did that happen?

You're lucky that your PN surgery worked despite the torque in your pelvis!

I agree. My fear is getting re-entrapped, if this isn't corrected.

Karyn, you could try contacting Jerry Hesch to see if there is someone in your area who is trained to use his manual therapy methods. HerMajesty had very good results from seeing him.

Excellent advise, Violet - thank you! I'm going to see where it goes with the Chiropractor for now. He seems to have a great deal of knowledge regarding the musculoskeletal and nervous system, and how everything works as a whole. If I'm not getting anywhere, I'll give HerMajesty a call.

[Lernica]

I'm going to see where it goes with the Chiropractor for now. He seems to have a great deal of knowledge regarding the musculoskeletal and nervous system, and how everything works as a whole. If I'm not getting anywhere, I'll give HerMajesty a call.

After my treatment with Dr. Andrew, I have a whole new appreciation for chiropractors. Until now I have always considered PN to be "too serious" for alternative practitioners. The condition is so painful and disabling, surely only medical experts are trained to treat it! But sometimes, as in my case, the problem boils down to a simple question of body biomechanics, something in which medical doctors are not well trained.

Having said that, I do need a surgeon to correct the ultimate cause of my misaligned pelvis, a labral hip tear. The reason it went undiagnosed for so long, Karyn, is because it is only within the last six years that MRIs have been able to detect labral tears. When my hip pain started about ten years ago, a full orthopaedic workup (X-ray, bone scan, MRI) could find no pathology. One doctor questioned whether the hip pain wasn't all in my head. "How are things at home? At the workplace? Everything alright?" (Of course the fact that I was regularly showing up at the doctor's office in tears from the hip pain didn't help!) So I have suffered with hip pain all this time, believing it to be a symptom of endometriosis or some other pelvic pathology, referring pain into the hip. Ughhhhh!

[Karyn]

Yes, Lernica - I understand what you're saying.

But sometimes, as in my case, the problem boils down to a simple question of body biomechanics, something in which medical doctors are not well trained.

I agree and personally find that fact very upsetting. I remember a statement LottaNerve made "I'm the healthiest sick person I know". That hit home with me, because my PCP keeps looking for autoimmune diseases (which aren't there) as a cause for my nerve and soft tissue pain. Not saying it can't or doesn't happen, as I know it really IS a good possible cause. However, I am saying ... that's not me. I'm not ill. I'm injured.
I have no words to adequately express how thankful I am that your tear was picked up on an MRI. Unfortunately, I haven't been so lucky. I have had an MRI of the lower lumber spine and only x-rays of the hips. Needless to say, the findings weren't significant and immediately dismissed. Additionally, no one has really considered or looked at the soft tissue aspect of it. One possible reason could be that the majority of my orders have been vague: "Hip Pain" .... "Chronic Pelvic Pain". The findings on these reports usually come back with: No masses are appreciated ... or ... There is no evidence of bone fracture or dislocation. And then we've got the UNREMARKABLE HIP/PELVIS.
Not that it means anything to the doctors I've been seeing, but I do have bone spurs on the acetabular rims and the greater trochanters. I'm now learning this is indicative of a problem. It occurs when tendons pull away from your bones. When this happens the body sends bone cells to the area to hold onto the tendon. The build-up of bone cells forms a "spur". Nothing will stop the growth of the spur while the tendon is being pulled away from its insertion point. If you try to remove the spur, without first releasing the muscle's tension on the bone, it will either quickly return, or the tendon will tear. This is commonly seen when the calf muscles are putting strain onto the Achilles tendon. As the muscles tighten, the tendon is pulled away from the heel, and a spur is formed on the back of the heel.
Lernica, prior to the imaging you had done which actually picked up the tear, did your previous imaging ever pick up bone spurs?

[ezer]

Yes, my pelvis is torqued too. Unfortunately, I think it gets torqued in response to the pain and not the way around. So even if I do my stretches and the pelvis is straight, the pain is still there. If I stop doing the exercises, the pelvis tilt slowly comes back with no change in pain really.

[Lernica]

Lernica, prior to the imaging you had done which actually picked up the tear, did your previous imaging ever pick up bone spurs?

No. Everything was "unremarkable", with "no significant abnormality".

If you still have hip pain, maybe you should get an MRI of your hips?

[Karyn]

If you still have hip pain, maybe you should get an MRI of your hips?

Sounds good. But I just recently saw a Hip Ortho person who I waited an hour an 45 minutes to see, only to have her spend less than 10 minutes with me, and inform me that "my problem isn't coming from my hips".