Get To Your Core!
The Official Blog Of Core Wellness Institute For Pain Relief And Healthy Aging
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Looks like I have some of this too.
Tested positive for the upper portion of the leg not going to 90 degrees. Lower leg seems to be fine though.
This might explain why my right hip has been sore lately.
I have started using a foot rest (as I have a desk job, and sit while commuting on a bus) and find that it is helping.
Looking forward to the solutions.
My psoas was so tight that it pulled the top my left foot in while standing up. A D.O. used a muscle energy & strain/counterstrain technique to release it. It was an immediate relief of hip and groin pain. A few days later the pain returned even with psoas stretches. The piriformis was also involved.
I need to stop sitting and driving, Definitely could feel some tightness. How do we fix this?
The fundamentals are coming!
Enjoying the films – keep up the good work. Personally I’m Ok and flexible (luck and yoga!)but there’s always more to learn.
In fact, I’m studying body work (FMM and yoga) and TCM and 5 Element acupuncture so am thrilled to find you and your site, as so much of what you are doing is in full accord.
My upper legs were flat but my lower legs were not at the 90 degree level. Plus both lower legs also went outward to the side. Is this unusual? I’m a 49 year old acrobat and I feel that my hamstrings and hip flexors are tighter than usual. Regardless of how much I stretch, within an hour or so they tighten up again.
Thanks for the video, I too had some difficulty with the Upper crossed test, but, most of my pain and discomfort has been hips and psoas. so I am looking forward to the exercises for lower.
Much appreciation
I seemed to be okay with that test but I had to do it on my bed which is quite firm. I will try it again later when the deck dries off.
I tried to do this, most of my furniture is to low to the ground. My legs are not at a 90 degree angle. I would say 115 to 120 degree angle. They bounce back when I consiously move them to 90 degrees.
Both hips got to 0′ but my knees were both at ~45! When I pulled my lower leg to 90′ at the knees my hip and thighs got an awful stretch that I had to ease off right away! Ow. I feel old! Please, what is the exercise?? Thanks. I’ve only just joined and I think this is a great mission and very generous of you. I’ve had core amnesia for almost all my life I think. I want to change that!
Uncle! Uncle! Nothing touched anything below my butt. Heck, I m us be lucky to be able to walk upright.
Funny…Fred. Thanks for the laugh!
Thighs slightly above 0, calves at 90. Due to pain in the quads thighs were not going below 0 until I swung my calves forward and my thighs came down below 0.
Found this website while looking for help with a torn groin muscle, or at least that is what my Chiro is calling it! I love my Dr but I am beginning to think that he is not as well informed as I would like him to be. I get relief from pain always but I want healing, health, wholeness. Did the above test; left side was able to hang but felt uncomfortable stretching from deep within. Did not even try right side as the groin muscle is still healing. (BTW-pulled groin while cycling!)
What is next? How do I stretch properly from here and maintain core, balance & strength?
@ janice…the coming exercises will get you started. Maybe you could do our coaching course when we re-release it.
Didn’t do so well with this one, but not surprised. Leg off counter and lower leg at about 45 degrees. Really need to get some good exercises for piriformis and hip muscles. Getting worse by the day.
I faied both tests and have been suffering alternate lower lhs back pain and rhs upper neck and shoulder pain. Looking forward to eliminating both!
my left side was almost horizontal but my right was sitting up at about 30 degrees. How do i go about fixing this problem???
@Phil…focusing on the lunge in the upcoming Reverse CPS Now fundamentals exercise series is a good place to start the hip tissue remodeling process. Let me know how it goes!
I did not do well. Thighs were almost horizontal, but tight and uncomfortable in that position. Leg below knee was not anywhere near vertical. I have definitely identified piriformis syndrome by the area of my pain, and have done the stretch for this a few times which improves the hip movement temporarily, but makes some of the pain go lower into the groin area. Please advise me as to what stretch to add. Thanks!
Without knowing your situation I can’t tell you specifically what to do. Do the fundamentals program included in this free series to work on everything from your deep core outwards and keep me posted.
was able to do this with a lot of pain in my back.
Both thighs about horizontal, but shins at about 140 degrees to the thighs. This is after two weeks of twice-a-day stretching of the hip flexor that my physiotherapist prescribed.
Think I passed this test judging it by myself. My main problem seems to be the upper crossed syndrome.
I’m in good shape on this one, Steve! Good 90-degree angle on the dangle and upper leg is elongated! Ken has issues however! 🙂
Ahhhh….flexion dominant work no doubt.
Do you have a free online video that gives execises that would help?
So if you have this problem, what do you do about it?
Thighs below 90 but lower leg at about 100 so looks like my quads are a bit tight but psoas ok. I do get lower back pain and sciatica intermittently after a ruptured disc at L5/S1 some years ago, predominantly on the L and both legs feel heavy and somewhat unresponsive when I have it. Erector spinae muscles are overdeveloped and hypertonic and I'm trying to correct my posture and work on strengthening and activating glutes because I think I'm using my lower back to power my walking and putting extra strain on the lumbar area. Any advice would be great.
The fundamentals series you’ve got should be helpful. Especially focus on the lunge done PERFECTLY as instructed. Also the diaphragm work with breathing very seriously. This is often the key link.
Thanks for this test as well but unfortunately my results we're very good which I guess is why I have such pain and problems with my hip. Now I just need to know what exercises to work on.
@Judy…results WERE good or were NOT?
Well, from what I can tell I wasn't too bad on this test. My thighs came down below the 90* angle… my shins were out just slightly, according to my observing husband, but almost at a 90* angle. So, not sure this helps me to figure out what's with my low back/ hip pain and problems… Any other self-test suggestions to help me decipher the implications?
Failed miserably – I developed my bilateral adhesive capsulitis in shoulders, carpel tunnel and sciatic pain when I started dental hygiene school a year ago. Hoping your exercises will help me get right before I have to start working!
Glad I did well with this one. The lower leg was not quite at 90 degrees but the back and upper legs were like you showed. Although I sit and drive a lot I also walk and do leg stretches during my walks so I guess that has been helping.
I think this is the route of my problems, as soon as I pulled the knee into my chest the extended leg raised off the table and my lower leg came up too. I find it weird though because I do lots of flexibility work in these areas, especially hip flexors and glutes/piriformis and have done for some time now.
No surprise on this one…both left and right side I am not able to rest the back of my thigh on the table entirely 🙁 definitely need some help here!
I couldn't tell at what degree my right leg rested but it could not rest horizontally. My left leg was fine.
New to this site and I am not sure how to navigate it. I failed the above test. With a flat back neither thigh could touch the table and knee to foot was at about a 45 degree. Where may we go for further help on what to do?
Thank you!
No problem, Carol. The dashboard to all the self tests plus the fundamentals exercise series is at http://www.gettoyourcore.com/free-series-dashboard/ .
You should have come from there to get to this page for this self test. Bookmark that page or refer to the link from the email you received after you signed up.
Pay specific attention to the “Push Away Lunge” in the exercise series to address your tight hips.
The full home training course will be available soon as well as a coaching program option where you can get direct access to me for individualized guidance, support, and accountability.
Talk soon,
drh
Thanks for the reply! I have been doing the “push away lunge” . Can just do 5 on each side. Lots of sore thighs and glute muscles-but that’s okay. What I am concerned about are the baby back and dead bug exercises. I do them slowly, while bracing, breathing, and steadying my pelvis , but they seem to put strain on my lower back. It almost feels like the bracing , itself, is aggravating. Is that suppose to be?
Try putting a small pillow or folded towel underneath your back support zone and gently press into it while doing baby back and STAY LONG with your spine while you breathe.
You may be flexing forward a bit with your brace. Don’t do dying bug AT ALL if you can’t hold a baby back without pain.
If increasing intra abdominal pressure continues to aggravate you should stop or proceed with extreme caution…especially if the increased pressure causes any symptoms to radiate down your leg.
drh
How flat my lower back should be? should vertebrates be touching the table? I have to seriously tuck my pelvic in to reach the table and the knee jumps up. Is that a problem?
Thanks
You don’t have to necessarily smash your actual vertebrae into the table / bench. Just pull the opposite leg up tight toward your chest. Your knee should not pop up, if it does your hip joint or hip muscles are too tight.
I was expecting to fail this as I have had 3 bad episodes of sciatica recently and think I have a piriformis problem on the left side – pain on pirifomis stretch there and a very sore point – but found I could do this ok – the angle maybe about 100 rather than 90.
However on my left side, lowering my leg gives a big joint click every time somewhere in the sacral area or top of leg.
Sciatica causes are many, Harriet. Sounds like hip muscle imbalance which can come from the feet, hip joint blockages, and a host of other things.
Keep working the free exercise series and consider enrolling when I start the coaching program.
Thanks so much for your help – I have a physiatrist appointment soon also – I wonder what they will say.
You’re welcome. Feel free to have them check out the site. I have a lot of open minded physiotherapists as site members.
I did find a place to perform the test; a long wide kitchen counter of all places. But I did pass this second test which I am happy to report. Actually, I was able to go to the gym for my resistance training yesterday and feel a lot better today. I did a full session of stretches prior, though, and am planning to always do that from now on.
Thanks for your help!
Karl
Good idea, Karl. But make sure your body is warm with a dynamic warm up before you stretch too deep. Glad you’re back on track!
drh
I did better on this than on the first test but still no cigar. My leg comes close to the table but not quite. With the leg as low as possible the knee will not bend 90 degrees.
It’s real common to have tight thigh muscles that hang you up here. Push Away Lunge will be your friend on the fundamentals exercise series.
Keep my posted.
drh
Hmmm….I have a round table only and I’m not sure if the results would be the same as with a straight edge table. I I’ll have to think about where I could do this but I wouldn’t mind doing the exercises regardless.
The exercises will be beneficial regardless, Lisa.
I’ve had two hip surgeries on my right side. First one 5.5 years ago, ASR resurface. Joint recalled. Failed. Explanted and replaced with a dual mobility THR 7 months ago. Recent severe left hip and knee pain.
Both sides thigh lays flat over edge of table. Right lower leg not bad, but certainly not vertical. Left lower leg extends about 45 degrees. Left knee is bone on bone.
First test was fine. No problems there.
Thanks so much for this wonderful looking work. Can’t wait to get started correcting imbalances.
Sounds like you’re a perfect fit for this work, Suzanne. It’s never too late to re-awaken your inborn perfect posture programs! Post your progress! -drsteve
My psoas is fine but I have sore hips due to a tight iliacus on both sides. I’ve been treated with deep massage for the past four months and there’s been some improvement but not enough. It is discouraging and expensive. Yes, I have been doing lunges and saw your video on You-Tube. BTW you were right about the pain in my knee coming from quads. I’ve been stretching out the quads keeping my pelvis tilted forward and it seems to be working.
Excellent, Dianne! I love soft tissue work but if I don’t see some immediate or at least some change within a session or 2, it’s not getting to the core.
I was able to do this, but my body is not very flexible that I could bring my knees all the way to my chest. I could feel tightness in my leg(s) (thighs) when I tried to bring one knee to my chest while having the other knee hanging at a 90 degree angle.
I was able to keep my back flat and my dangle was very good. I felt the stretch in my quads. It surprise me that I could dangle at at least 80% because I have a lot of back and hip pain.
I see lots of folks with loose hips / hip flexor muscles who have back pain. If your back pain is coming from musculoskeletal / mechanical issues, you may have more of a “stability” problem with your hips and core rather than a “mobility” problem.
I did the test again, I can get my leg to go at a 90 degree angle. My problem is if I walk too much my hips (side of leg) feels like bursitis. I have had cortisone injections but they dont help. I have been o a very health diet, fruit, vegs, and chicken or salmon for the last month. What exercises can I do to loosen up that area. I also get a tighteness in the center of my buttocks.
Lots of variables here, Jeanne. Could be foot dysfunction, disc issue, trigger points in or around hip joint, or a plethora of other factors.
few related posts that might help are http://www.gettoyourcore.com/step-ups/ and http://www.gettoyourcore.com/perrincast001/ and http://www.gettoyourcore.com/balance-test/
Dr. Steve, thanks for the test.
I was able to get the required range of motion. However, I noticed I needed to consciously relax the hip flexors. Without concentration the flexors tended to flex.
Yes, the ability to consciously “relax” the central nervous system is key and can be trained.
However…it’s critical to “calm the buzz” that keeps the tension in the system from all areas of your life including mental / emotional and nutritional stress or else you have a ceiling on your healing capacity.
My thigh goes below 0 but my “dangle angle” is about 30 degrees- slightly worse than the lady in the video. Is that bad? Thank you!
Nothing bad or good. Just results and an audit to check from time to time as you improve. May need some stretching / releasing. The “Push Away Lunge” will help.
I have “frozen hip” on the right side, I was not able to lay my leg flat while keeping my back on the table. I could feel the pulling along the top of my thigh when I attempted to make it relax, and it actually caused pain at one point- so I stopped.. I’d say it was a big ole fail on that side, on the left side it’s not nearly as bad but I think it still raises a little… unfortunately I’m not agile enough to try and climb up onto the kitchen table (and I’d be afraid to break it as I’m pretty heavy)
Doctors have told me the frozen hip resulted from a knee injury I was told to use crutches for, and since I already had the DDD, herniated lumbar spine and sciatica, the whole shot worked together to make my hip seize up. I’ve had decompression surgery (failed) and I now walk with a cane at 33. My balance is shot and I apparently carry 60 pounds more on my left than on my right. I’m sure I suffer from a lot of things and wouldn’t be surprised if this is one of them
Sorry to hear that Jenn. I would seek a chiropractor or PT who focuses on active rehabilitation to address your hip and entire lower kinetic chain.
I cannot bring my legs too close to my chest and I feel some tension in my leg when I put it down.
I think i went ok. But i could not get my knees so close to the chest and when i pull one in the dangling leg lifts
I managed to dangle at 90 degrees without much trouble.. but My back arched a bit and my upper thighs were tight. Didnt stay there long..
OK I did this one I did have some issues with my right leg.. My left leg was just fine. But the right leg on the top running from my hip joint/ thigh to knee hurt (not to bad though) and I couldn’t get my right leg down as far as my left leg because as I tried to make it go down it felt like from my knee to my foot the blood supply was pinched off, and the pain in my thigh increesed with pain.
If you feel any numbness or loss of blood supply feeling definitely do not repeat and get a good evaluation from a qualified chiropractor or PT who is trained in Mckenzie and functional movement evaluation.