John%Wayne,%Marilyn%Monroe,%and%Goldilocks:%%Assessing%Pelvis%Movement%in%Walking%©2013&Til&Luchau&/&Advanced5Trainings.com&

A&version&of&this&article&appeared&in&Dynamic&Body:&Exploring&Form,&Expanding&Function.&Erik&Dalton,&ed.&2011&

Stand&on&one&leg.&&You’ll&need&to&get&up&from&wherever&you’re&sitting,&but&give&it&a&try.&&Once&you’re&standing&on&one&leg,&ask&yourself&–&how&did&you&move&from&two&legs,&to&one?&&A&complex&set&of&shifts,&stabilizations,&compensations,&and&contractions&allowed&you&to&stand&on&just&one&leg.&This&movement&is&familiar&to&our&bodies,&even&if&we&are&a&bit&wobbly&at&first.&&Most&of&us&do&it&hundreds&or&thousands&of&times&per&day&–&every&time&we&take&a&step.&&However&briefly,&walking&involves&standing&on&one&leg.&

Let’s&focus&on&weight&shift&for&a&moment.&&Our&pelvis&and&torso&are&supported&by&our&legs&–&balanced&on&our&femurs,&if&you&will&(Image&1).&&When&we&step,&we&shift&our&body&weight&over&the&supporting&leg,&balancing&on&just&one&femur.&&In&order&to&do&this,&we&must&transfer&our&center&of&gravity&over&the&standing&leg.&&Try&walking&without&shifting&your&weight&laterally,&and&you’ll&see&how&important&sideMtoMside&shift&is.&&

Image&1:&&Leonardo&da&Vinci’s&sketches&of&lower&limb&anatomy&illustrate&his&inquiry&into&how&the&pelvis&balances&on&the&femur,&and&schematically&illustrate&how&the&soft&tissues&stabilize&this&relationship.&&Here&he&compares&the&role&of&hip&abductors&in&a&quadruped&and&a&human,&where&they&play&an&even&greater&role&in&lateral&support&for&the&pelvis/femur&function.&

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There&are&two&predominant&methods&for&laterally&shifting&one’s&center&of&gravity&over&the&standing&leg.&&Each&pattern&corresponds&to&one&of&the&major&centers&of&the&torso’s&mass:&&the&shoulder&girdle&or&the&pelvic&girdle.&&The$Shoulder$Shift$In&the&shoulder$shift,&the&shoulder&girdle&and&upper&body&shift&over&the&standing&leg&to&allow&the&swinging&leg&to&be&lifted.&&The&exaggerated&version&of&this&pattern&is&John&Wayne’s&stiffMhipped&gunfighter&swagger.&&(Image&2)&

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Image&2:&&John&Wayne’s&topMheavy&swagger&involved&laterally&shifting&his&shoulder&girdle&more&than&his&pelvic&girdle&when&walking.&

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In&this&way&of&walking,&the&hips&don’t&have&to&shift&much,&so&it&is&a&common&adaptation&for&people&who&have&limited&ability&to&control&lateral&hip&shift,&including&amputees&(Image&3)&and&those&with&cerebral&palsy.&&

The$Hip$Shift&&In&contrast&to&upperMbody&shift,&the&second&method&for&getting&the&center&of&gravity&over&the&standing&leg&relies&on&laterally&shifting&the&lower&center&of&gravity,&the&pelvis,&over&the&standing&leg.&&For&the&purposes&of&our&conversation,&we’ll&refer&to&this&lateral&translation&of&the&entire&pelvis&as&“hip$shift”.&&The&overstated&archetype&of&this&pattern&is&Marilyn&Monroe,&sashaying&down&the&catwalk.&&(Image&4)&

Image&3:&&Triathlete&Sarah&Reinertsen&creatively&adapts&to&limited&hip&shift&by&shifting&her&shoulder&girdle&to&the&supporting&side.&

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Marilyn&Monroe’s&signature&hip&sway&was&apparently&something&she&worked&at.&&Ralph&Roberts,&Monroe’s&bodyguard,&chauffeur,&and&massage&therapist,&related&this&story&the&year&of&her&death:&&

"Back&in&the&days&when&Marilyn&first&decided&she&wanted&to&be&an&actress&rather&than&a&star,&she&got&a&book,&"The&Thinking&Body,"&by&Mabel&Ellsworth&Todd.&From&it&Marilyn&got&the&basic&exercise&called&"the&pelvic&girdle"&and&she&developed&the&walk&that&made&her&famous.&She&always&carried&a&copy&of&that&book&with&her."i&

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Image&4:&&Marilyn&Monroe’s&trademark&walk&coupled&hip&shift&with&contralateral&hip&drop.&&In&the&movie&“Gentlemen&Prefer&Blondes,”&Monroe&(on&the&left)&was&cast&opposite&Jane&Russell&(on&the&right),&who&demonstrates&the&complementary&pattern&of&shoulder&girdle&shift,&a&pattern&which&usually&involves&less&hip&drop&than&hip&shift&does.$&

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Image&5:&Marilyn&Monroe&with&a&copy&of&Mabel&Ellsworth&Todd’s&“The&Thinking&Body,”&classic&study&of&physiology&and&the&psychology&of&movement.&Somatic&therapy&pioneers&who&also&cited&this&book&as&an&influence&included&Moshe&Feldenkrais&and&Ida&Rolf.&&

Manual&therapy&teacher&Erik&Dalton&shared&a&story&with&me&that&he&heard&from&the&“Rat&Pack’s”&Peter&Lawford:&in&order&to&get&more&of&a&“Mae&West”&walk,&Marilyn&had&an&inch&cut&off&one&heel&to&make&her&hip&on&that&side&shift&even&more&laterally.&&Once&that&hip&had&loosened&up&some,&she&switched&the&shorter&heel&to&the&other&side.&&She&continued&to&swap&the&short&heel&from&one&side&to&the&other,&until&she’d&developed&the&mobility&required&for&her&largerMthanMlife&hip&shift.&&If&Monroe&had&lived&longer,&this&exaggerated&pattern&may&have&come&with&unintended&consequences.&&Presumably&due&to&their&generally&wider&pelvic&structure,&women&are&already&prone&to&genu&valgum&and&other&knee&issues,&as&well&as&piriformis&syndrome&(six&times&more&frequent&in&women&than&in&menii).&&Exaggerated&lateral&hip&movement&could&exacerbate&these&tendencies.&&Men&have&their&own&problems,&of&course,&and&at&least&a&few&of&these&may&be&related&to&the&tightMhipped&John&Wayne&swagger&that&indicates&restricted&

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hip&abductors&and&limited&lumbar&mobility.&&Lumbar&disk&issues&are&twice&as&common&in&men&as&womeniii;&inguinal&hernias&(conceivably&related&to&compression&and&lack&of&adaptability&in&the&visceral&space)&are&seven&times&as&likely&in&meniv;&men&are&also&more&prone&to&sacroiliac&joint&degeneration&than&womenv.&&It&appears&that&an&exaggerated&pattern&of&shifting&primarily&with&the&shoulders&also&takes&a&toll&on&the&body.&&As&mentioned,&leg&amputees&often&use&shoulderMshift&in&lieu&of&hipMshift.&&According&to&the&gait&expert,&prosthetic&engineer,&and&MIT&professor&Hugh&Herr,&70%&of&amputees&have&hip&and&back&problemsvi.&&So,&some&hipMshift&with&hip&flexion&is&desirable;&without&it,&the&pelvis/lumbar&complex&can’t&adapt&to&the&changing&demands&of&walking,&balance,&and&weightMbearing,&which&can&put&strain&on&the&lumbars&and&hip&joints.&&

Hip%Shift%Test%

In&my&manual&therapy&practice,&I&assess&hip&shift&whenever&a&client&complains&of&hip,&lumbar,&sciatic,&or&sacroiliac&pain,&and&in&the&context&of&working&with&larger&gait&or&balance&issues.&&To&assess&hip&shift,&ask&your&standing&client&to&lift&one&knee&high.&&(If&balance&is&difficult,&have&your&client&face&a&wall&so&that&he&or&she&can&reach&forward&for&balance.&&If&the&wall&is&to&the&side,&he&or&she&will&reach&sideways,&which&will&affect&shift&and&obscure&your&results.)&&When&your&client&lifts&the&knee,&ask&yourself:&&Does&the&pelvic&girdle&shift&laterally&over&the&standing&leg,&or&does&only&the&shoulder&girdle&shift,&causing&the&torso&to&lean?&&(You’ll&likely&observe&other&movements&and&compensations,&such&as&rotation&and&tilt&of&the&entire&pelvis,&but&for&the&purposes&of&this&discussion,&we’ll&focus&primarily&on&lateral&translation&of&the&entire&pelvis,&or&“hip&shift”.)&&Compare&what&happens&when&the&left&and&right&knees&are&lifted.&&The&shoulders&will&typically&shift&farther&to&the&side&of&the&more&restricted&hip&abductors;&so&if&there&is&a&marked&shoulder&girdle&shift&without&hip&shift,&work&the&hip&abductors&and&the&lateral&line&on&that&same&side&of&the&body,&and&then&reMtest.&&For&example,&if&you&see&shoulders&that&shift&more&to&the&right&than&the&hips&do&(as&in&Image&8),&we’d&expect&to&find&tighter&abductors&on&the&right,&as&hip&shift&involves&eccentrically&lengthening&the&sameMside&abductors.&&Pain&or&guarding&elsewhere,&such&as&lumbar&disk&pain,&ankle&instability,&or&knee&pain,&can&also&cause&a&tendency&towards&greater&shoulder&shift&(and&thus,&diminished&hip&shift).&&LegMlength&differences&can&also&be&a&factor&in&asymmetrical&hip&shift.&&As&Peter&Lawford’s&story&about&Marilyn&Monroe’s&high&heels&illustrates,&a&shorter&leg&will&cause&increased&hip&shift&to&the&same&side.&&Barring&these&issues,&if&hip&shift&is&diminished,&one&or&both&of&these&is&possible:&

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1. The&abductors&on&the&supporting&side&almost&certainly&don't&release&when&weight&shifts;&&

2. Possibly,&the&sacrum&could&be&fixed&in&sidebending&away&from&the&supporting&side&(see&Image&9).&

&To&rule&out&#1&(nonMreleasing&abductors),&work&with&your&client&in&a&sideMlying&position,&using&gentle&pressure&into&the&abductors&with&your&forearm&or&soft&fist.&&Ask&for&active&participation,&first&using&active&hip&and&knee&flexion&and&extension,&and&then&active&hip&abduction&and&adduction.&&Your&goal&is&to&increase&the&ability&of&the&lateral&hip&structures&to&eccentrically&lengthen.&&So,&as&you&ask&for&movement,&use&your&pressure&to&encourage&release&in&the&gluteus&medius,&minimus,&and&lateral&gluteus&maximus,&as&well&as&in&the&tensor&fascia&lata,&iliotibial&tract,&and&their&related&fascial&extensions.&&Coach&your&client&to&initiate&movement&slowly&and&smoothly,&allowing&the&structures&being&worked&to&stay&as&long&as&possible,&even&in&active&movement.&&Then&reMtest.&&

&If&there&is&still&a&left/right&difference&in&hip&shift&after&releasing&the&restricted&side’s&abductors,&check&for&sacral&sidebending&fixations,&per&factor&#2&above.&&There&are&several&ways&of&doing&this,&ranging&from&a&subtle&pelvic&lift,&to&more&active&sacral&nutation&assessment&and&release.&&Describing&these&manipulations&is&beyond&our&scope&here,&but&Dr.&Dalton’s&Myoskeletal&work,&as&well&as&our&own&Advanced&Myofascial&Techniques&

Image&6:&&The&hip&abductors&of&gluteus&medius&and&minimus,&together&with&the&lateral&gluteus&maximus,&tensor&fascia&lata,&iliotibial&tract,&and&their&fascial&extensions&(not&pictured),&inhibit&lateral&hip&shift&when&they&resist&eccentric&lengthening.&&

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courses,&cover&these&and&other&approaches&for&assessing&and&balancing&sacral&motion.&&NonMlengthening&abductors&per&#1&will&usually&be&present&in&any&case,&whether&or&not&the&sacrum&is&fixed&in&sidebending.&

Hip%Dropping%and%Hip%Hiking%In&addition&to&the&hips&shifting&laterally&when&a&knee&is&raised,&the&entire&pelvis&will&often&laterally&flex&or&sidebend&(tilt&in&the&coronal&plane),&either&dropping&on&the&unMweighted&side&(as&David&does&in&Image&9),&or&hiking&up&(as&in&Image&8,&right).&&If&there&is&excessive&hipMdrop&(“Trendelenburg’s&sign”),&it&can&signal&weakness&or&lack&of&participation&by&the&abductors.&&If&there&is&excessive&hipMhiking&on&the&same&side&as&the&lifted&knee,&it&indicates&that&the&lumbar&muscles&(quadratus&lumborum&and&the&lumbar&erectors)&are&probably&overly&active&in&hip&flexion.&&Although&there&are&differing&models&of&normal&hip&motion,&most&people&benefit&from&learning&how&to&flex&the&hip&without&overMrecruiting&these&back&muscles.&Clients&who&show&hipMhiking&will&benefit&from&softMtissue&work&that&encourages&length&in&the&shortened&space&between&the&ribcage&and&pelvis&during&sameMside&hip&flexion.&&&&

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&&The&psoas’&role&as&a&hip&flexor&and&lumbar&sideMbender&would&suggest&that&it&plays&a&role&in&hip&hiking&when&the&knee&is&raised.&Dr.&Ida&Rolf,&the&originator&of&Rolfing®&structural&integration,&maintained&that&the&psoas&allows&the&lumbar&space&to&maintain&its&length,&and&that&a&compressed&lumbar&space&indicates&the&need&for&greater&psoas&involvementvii.&&Although&somewhat&counterintuitive&from&a&conventional&kinesiological&perspective,&increased&client&awareness&of&the&psoas&in&hip&flexion&does&seem&to&correspond&to&the&ability&to&leave&the&lumbar&space&long&while&raising&one&knee,&perhaps&because&psoas&activation&inhibits&the&antagonistic&contraction&of&the&lumbar&erectors.&

Image&7:&If&overly&active&during&hip&flexion,&the&lumbar&erectors&(together&with&quadratus&lumborum,&etc.)&cause&hip&hiking.&&If&you&were&to&see&this&pattern&after&asking&your&client&to&raise&his&left&knee,&he&would&benefit&from&work&that&helped&him&maintain&length&in&the&left&side&of&his&lumbar&space&during&hip&flexion.&&

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&%

Goldilocks’%Mean%

How&much&pelvic&movement&is&the&right&amount?&&We&can&use&the&“Three&Bears”&approach:&like&Goldilocks,&we&don’t&want&too&much&of&Papa&Bear’s&

Image&8:&Asymmetrical&hipMshift&and&hipMdrop&patterns&in&one&of&Eadweard&Muybridge’s&nineteenthMcentury&studies&of&human&movement.&&In&the&first&image&(left),&note&the&pronounced&rightward&shoulder&girdle&shift,&limited&rightward&pelvic&girdle&shift,&and&slight&hipMhiking&on&the&left.&&In&the&second&image&(right),&notice&the&model's&greater&rightMside&hipMhiking&and&more&pronounced&leftward&hip&shift&(visible&via&the&umbilicus/ankle&plumb&line).&Although&some&of&the&apparent&asymmetry&may&be&due&to&the&left&leg’s&external&rotation&in&preparation&for&turning,&these&differences&suggest&restricted&rightMside&hip&abductors,&along&with&tighter&rightMside&lumbar&soft&tissues.&&

Image&9:&&Michelangelo’s&David&shows&both&rightMside&hip&and&shoulder&shift,&along&with&left&hip&drop,&demonstrating&eccentric&lengthening&of&the&right&hip’s&abductors,&and&an&ability&to&allow&the&sacrum&to&sidebend&left,&away&from&the&supporting&leg.&&David’s&upper&body&shift,&coupled&with&hip&drop,&suggests&a&supple&strength&at&rest,&in&contrast&to&the&tentative&shyness&of&upper&body&shift&without&hip&drop&in&Image&7&left.&

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toughMguy&hip&stiffness,&nor&Mama&Bear’s&exaggerated&sideMtoMside&hip&movement.&&The&shoulderMshifter&needs&more&pelvic&adaptability.&&The&hipMswinger&needs&the&wholeMpicture&stability&of&integrated&shoulder/pelvis&coordination:&&upper&and&lower&moving&together.&&Both&extremes&are&inefficient&in&terms&of&kinetic&energy&recycling:&&trunk&rigidity&prevents&the&spiraling&and&sidebending&that&allows&for&kinetic&uptake;&hip&hypermobility&doesn’t&provide&the&resilience&needed&to&store&gait&energy&and&release&it&into&the&next&step.&&We’re&looking&for&the&“justMright”&combination&of&a&moderate&amount&of&hip&shift&in&hip&flexion,&without&the&pronounced&trunk&leaning&associated&with&shoulderMgirdle&shift.&&As&our&Marilyn&Monroe&and&John&Wayne&examples&show,&shoulder&and&hipMshift&patterns&have&strong&gender&connotations.&&Structural&differences&between&men&and&women&play&a&part:&&women’s&wider&pelvises,&and&men’s&wider&shoulders,&favor&their&respective&shift&patterns.&&An&example&of&how&this&difference&in&width&affects&function:&&a&gorilla&has&a&very&narrow&pelvis&compared&to&a&human,&and&has&even&greater&sideMtoMside&shoulderMshift&when&walking&upright.&&Biologically,&it&could&be&that&a&female’s&hip&sway&advertises&a&pelvic&structure&wide&enough&for&childbearing;&or&a&male’s&shoulderMswagger&might&be&drawing&attention&to&the&upperMbody&strength&and&prowess&that&are&presumably&biologically&advantageous&in&a&mate.&In&addition&to&the&more&objective&structural,&biomechanical,&and&technical&aspects&of&these&patterns,&there&is&also&a&subjective&aspect&–&the&lived&experience&of&one’s&own&gait.&&A&person’s&walk&is&an&expression&of&their&personality,&identity,&and&their&individual&style.&&What&would&a&genderMbending&drag&queen&do&without&her&slinky&walk?&&How&credible&would&a&barMbouncer&be&without&his&toughMguy&swagger?&&Besides&gait,&the&face&is&perhaps&the&only&other&place&in&the&body&where&we,&as&body&therapists,&have&this&much&impact&on&someone’s&subjective&identity&and&presentation&to&the&world.&&The&oftenMquoted&phrase&in&Rolf&Movement®&work&is,&“The&way&one&walks&through&the&room&is&the&way&one&walks&through&the&world.”&&When&we&work&with&gait,&we&affect&our&clients’&very&experience&and&expression&of&being,&from&the&inside&out.&&Image&credits:&

• Images&1,&2,&and&4&are&in&the&public&domain.&&• Image&3:&&Photo&of&Sarah&Reinertsen&used&by&permission.&&Sarah&is&the&author&of&the&book,&In&a&Single&Bound;&her&website&is&www.alwaystri.com&

• Image&5:&&Copyright&Primal&Pictures&Ltd.&&Used&by&permission.&&• Image&6:&Photo&of&Marilyn&Monroe&on&the&set&of&“Clash&By&Night”&in&1952&by&Ernest&Bachrach.&&&&

• Image&7:&Sculpture&and&photo&by&artists&Helmut&Hillenkamp&and&Christy&Hengst,&used&by&permission.&&Their&website&is&www.iron5to5live5with.com&

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• Image&8:&&Source&images&from&Eadweard&Muybridge,&“Woman&walking&down&stairs,”&1887.&&Images&are&in&the&public&domain.&

• Image&9:&&by&Rico&Heil,&used&by&permission&under&GNU&Free&Documentation&License.&

&Notes&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&i&Hyams,&Joe.&“Marilyn&was&open,&happy&like&flower.”&Chronicle&Telegram,&Elyria,&Ohio,&September&22,&1962&http://www.ralphlroberts.com/articles/ChronicleTelegramtext.htm,&accessed&Nov&2013.&ii&Carol&L.&Otis,&M.D.,&http://www.sportsdoctor.com/articles/sciatica3.html,&accessed&March&2010.&iii&“Males&are&affected&by&lumbar&disk&problems&approximately&twice&as&often&as&females,&except&in&the&adolescent&group&where&there&is&a&small&female&preponderance,&probably&due&to&earlier&skeletal&maturity.”&–&“Interactive&Spine”&version&1.66,&Primal&Pictures&Ltd.&2009.&iv&Professional&Guide&to&Diseases&(Eighth&Edition),&2005.&v&Ribeirol&et&al.,&“Sacroiliac&dysfunction”,&Acta&Ortopédica&Brasileira,&vol.&11&no.&2&São&Paulo&April/June&2003.&vi&Hugh&Herr,&quoted&by&Paul&Hochman&in&“Super&Human,”&Fast&Company&magazine,&Feb.&2010&142:83.&vii&Rolf,&Ida&P.&Rolfing:&The&Integration&of&Human&Structures,&NY:&Harper&&&Row,&1977,&p.&112.&