Relieve Hip Pain The Somatic Way

[@joycelawrence1396]

I love these variations, especially not raising the head. Very effective for my body. Thanks for sharing these for all of us to learn from.

[@EssentialSomatics]

You're so welcome!

[@natalagoodman2205]

Well! This is THE key! Thank you VERY much!!

[@EssentialSomatics]

You're so welcome!

[@natalagoodman2205]

GREAT! But which side do you lie on-the one without hip pain or the one with hip pain?

[@EssentialSomatics]

It all depends! You can explore by lying on the non-painful side and releasing the less comfortable side. Notice not only the side you're pandiculating, but the side against the floor. Be your own experiment! See what you sense.

[@MoveDeeply]

Great variation - thank you!

[@EssentialSomatics]

You're very welcome!

[@tomjonathon6889]

I have left hip pain. Do you advise for or against ball exercises. Like opposing muscle adjustment.

[@EssentialSomatics]

No, I wouldn't advise using a ball to put pressure on the hip if that's what you're asking. Pandiculate and re-educate your waist muscles and how they move the hip. Hip pain is often the result of tight muscles in the waist, back, and front - or excess tension on one side of the torso more than the other. This can put pressure into the hip joint. Release the muscles to make space in the joint and restore an efficient gait. I hope this helps.

[@tomjonathon6889]

@@EssentialSomatics Thanks for the reply! Good information. I bought the ball for like what you said, strengthening and "re adjusting" like by squeezing the ball between my legs, on my back, feet on the wall perpendicular, and doing various things from there. A teacher would be nice, huh, in these situations. I will just take it slow and gentle and feel my body work.

[@magojasper]

Amazing!

[@EssentialSomatics]

Thank you!

[@stevengrant9837]

Any tips for nerve release

[@EssentialSomatics]

I can't advise you on that since I don't know how you move nor what your background is. Nerves can become impinged because muscles put pressure on them. The brain controls the muscles, so the two are intertwined. I would recommend coming to class or working one on one with a skilled Clinical Somatic Educator to assess your nerve issues to determine whether your issues are functional in nature. A lot of pain is, I have found from my clinical experience. It's how you use your body and how aware (or not) you are of how you use your body that makes the difference.

[@stevengrant9837]

How often in a day can you do this

[@EssentialSomatics]

Make it part of your practice. I do it every day to prepare myself to move and then to shake off the stress of my day, so to speak. I love the Side Bend and it helps me maintain my balance and keep my shoulders and hips moving in coordination. If you want to learn more about how to incorporate movements that you're enjoying into a daily practice, come to our online classes! I say this to everyone, since once you understand the what, why, and how of Somatic Movement, you can take this practice anywhere and continue to move well for the rest of your life. In fact, I start teaching a 9-week Intro Series tomorrow, Oct. 12th! I'd love to have you in class. essentialsomatics.com/essential-somatics-online-classes

[@natalagoodman2205]

Addendum: I’ve tried it many times-can’t keep my neck from hurting when I come up.

[@EssentialSomatics]

Try it without lifting the head and notice the waist muscles from one side to the other. This is about the sides of the body; the head is simply the top of the spine, so don't work too hard and see what you can notice and sense.

[@joycelawrence1396]

This is the missing piece for me. It is more natural to do the movement this way. It also feels more natural not to lift the head. Thanks for sharing this amazing variation with all of us..

[@EssentialSomatics]

You're so welcome! I do this movement every day. It's too easy to "yank" on the head when you lift it. Allow the head to float up (as the waist muscles contract and shorten) like the weight of a feather.

[@vickyd7541]

Thanks very much for this video, it's great to explore different variations as I learn this movement. I definitely have the trauma reflex on one side, plus less pronounced green light reflex. Just a question: in addition to waist muscles (obliques) are the abductors supposed to contract as well - especially in the straight leg version? None of the side-bend videos I've seen mention this. I have a lot of tightness in my abductors which also seem to contribute to my LBP, and I'm looking for the best way to address those areas. I'm also worried because while somatic exercises seem to relax my muscles for a while, these muscles contract back soon after and are even more painful - perhaps it's the sensitization of nerves in those areas which I'm dealing with. Do you recommend persisting with these for e.g. several weeks to see more sustained pain relief, or can somatics be counter-indicated in the case of sensitization (allodynia)?

[@EssentialSomatics]

If you experience more tension after the movements you can suspect two things: you're either working too hard (these are gentle, exploratory movements in which the complete relaxation at the end is critical for your brain to integrate) or whatever you're doing once you get up from the floor feeling balanced and less tense, is pulling you back into tension. Because you are a system in which patterns are primary, if you contract the side of the waist, the abductors have no choice but to contract! It's natural and part of the pattern - however, the movement isn't about intentionally and strongly using the leg to drive the movement. The movement comes from the CENTER and the leg/foot follow along for the ride. I recommend attending a Fundamentals Immersion course (details on the ES website) in order to take a deep dive into the concepts, principles, and movements of Essential Somatics. You'll walk away with a daily routine and loads of tips on how to get the most benefit out of your practice. We teach that course around the world, so have a look on the ES site for more information.