Embody Wellness Studio

28/01/2026

I just treated this in a structural integration session yesterday. Releasing the myofascial influence on the alignment reducing hip pain and improving efficiency of movement patterns.

🔍 Biomechanical Analysis: Medial Rotation of the Thigh vs Ipsilateral Pelvic Rotation

This illustration explains a critical biomechanical concept of hip–pelvis coupling, showing how medial (internal) rotation of the right thigh and right (ipsilateral) rotation of the pelvis can produce similar visual outcomes at the lower limb, yet arise from very different movement strategies and control mechanisms.

1️⃣ Medial Rotation of the Right Thigh (Femur-on-Pelvis)

In the left image, the pelvis remains relatively stable while the femur rotates medially within the acetabulum. This is a classic open-chain or controlled closed-chain hip motion, commonly assessed in clinical examination.

Biomechanical highlights:

The axis of rotation passes through the center of the femoral head.

Primary contributors include gluteus medius (anterior fibers), gluteus minimus, tensor fasciae latae, and adductor longus/brevis.

Medial rotation improves acetabular–femoral congruency, allowing even distribution of joint reaction forces.

Excessive or poorly controlled femoral medial rotation increases torsional stress on the femoral neck and alters the orientation of the knee joint.

Functional relevance:
During gait, controlled femoral medial rotation occurs in loading response and mid-stance, helping with shock absorption and adaptation to ground reaction forces.

2️⃣ Right (Ipsilateral) Rotation of the Pelvis (Pelvis-on-Femur)

The right image demonstrates pelvic rotation over a relatively fixed femur, a movement pattern commonly seen in closed-chain functional tasks.

Biomechanical highlights:

The pelvis rotates forward on the stance limb, effectively creating relative hip medial rotation.

This movement is driven by contralateral trunk rotation, abdominal obliques, and stance-side hip stabilizers.

Ipsilateral pelvic rotation lengthens the contralateral step, improving gait efficiency and reducing energy expenditure.

Excessive pelvic rotation often compensates for restricted hip mobility or weak hip abductors.

Functional relevance:
This mechanism is essential during terminal stance and pre-swing phases of gait, contributing to smooth forward progression of the body.

3️⃣ Pelvic–Femoral Coupling: A Key Biomechanical Concept

Although both patterns result in the foot pointing medially, the source of motion differs:

Femur-on-pelvis rotation → controlled hip joint motion.

Pelvis-on-femur rotation → compensatory or functional trunk–pelvic strategy.

Failure to distinguish between the two can lead to misdiagnosis and ineffective rehabilitation.

4️⃣ Kinetic Chain Implications

Uncontrolled femoral medial rotation or excessive pelvic rotation can propagate dysfunction down the kinetic chain:

Knee: Increased valgus moment → patellofemoral maltracking, ACL strain.

Ankle & Foot: Excessive pronation due to altered tibial alignment.

Lumbar Spine: Increased rotational and shear stresses, contributing to low back pain.

5️⃣ Clinical & Rehabilitation Perspective

From a biomechanical and clinical standpoint, optimal movement requires a balance between hip mobility and pelvic stability.

Key rehab focus areas:

Strengthening hip abductors and external rotators for femoral control.

Enhancing core and trunk rotational control to regulate pelvic motion.

Movement retraining during gait, squats, and single-leg tasks to prevent compensatory strategies.

28/01/2026

Warm Welcome to Brooke! We are delighted to have her expertise join our studio in picturesque Latrobe. Here is a brief overview of her background and expertise -

As an accredited Exercise Physiologist and Pilates instructor, I am dedicated to empowering women to feel strong, capable, and confident throughout perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. As a mother of three, I understand the demands of life and the importance of prioritising our physical well-being during every stage of womanhood.

I firmly believe that ageing should be an empowering experience, rather than a limiting one, and that strength, movement, and education are crucial for ageing well. My approach combines evidence-based exercise with mindful movement to support women in building resilience, maintaining independence, and feeling confident in their bodies.

Outside of my work with clients, you can find me at the beach, hiking in nature, or immersed in a good book.

Looking forward to Brooke adding to our clients Pilates repertoire in the studio soon!
Studio is now open Monday through to Thursday approx hours 8am-4pm depending on the day. DM to find out how you can book in for our one to one or semi private sessions tailored specifically for you. So you get the most out most out of your time.

28/01/2026

Yes!

Posture, Spine & Breathing: The Hidden Biomechanics You Can’t Ignore

This image brilliantly connects spinal alignment, pelvic position, and breathing mechanics, showing that respiration is not just a lung function—it’s a whole-body biomechanical process.

At the top, the spinal diagrams show how changes in thoracic and lumbar curvature alter rib cage orientation. When the spine maintains its natural curves, the rib cage can expand and recoil efficiently. The red discs represent zones of load transfer—when alignment is optimal, forces are shared evenly through the spine and pelvis.

As posture deteriorates, the thorax shifts backward or forward relative to the pelvis. This alters rib angles and reduces the ability of the ribs to move like bucket handles. The spine compensates by increasing curvature, but this comes at the cost of restricted thoracic mobility and altered breathing patterns.

The lower-left figures show how pelvic position directly affects the diaphragm. When the pelvis is neutral, the diaphragm sits in an optimal domed position, allowing effective descent during inhalation. This creates a coordinated pressure system between the diaphragm, abdominal wall, and pelvic floor—often called the core pressure system.

When posture collapses—especially with posterior pelvic tilt or excessive spinal flexion—the diaphragm becomes flattened and mechanically disadvantaged. As a result, breathing shifts upward into the chest and neck, increasing reliance on accessory muscles like the scalenes and upper trapezius. This not only reduces breathing efficiency but also increases neck and upper-back tension.

The bell-jar model on the right explains this perfectly. When the diaphragm descends, thoracic volume increases and pressure decreases, allowing the lungs to expand. When posture restricts diaphragm movement, this pressure–volume relationship is compromised, forcing inefficient breathing strategies.

From a biomechanical standpoint, poor posture leads to:
• Reduced diaphragmatic excursion
• Increased spinal compression
• Altered intra-abdominal pressure
• Decreased core stability
• Higher energy cost during breathing

This is why chronic poor posture is often linked to low back pain, neck pain, breathing dysfunction, fatigue, and reduced exercise tolerance. The body isn’t just misaligned—it’s working harder just to breathe.

28/01/2026

Balancing the diaphragms of pelvic floor and breath is something I offer in both the Structure Integration work and Holistic Pelvic Care. We also offer individually designed and supervised programs for our clients.

Rib Cage, Pelvis & Spinal Loading

The upper images explain how alignment of the rib cage over the pelvis directly controls the forces acting on the spine. Think of the trunk as a vertical column that must transfer body weight and movement forces efficiently from top to bottom.

In Image A, the rib cage is stacked directly over the pelvis. This creates a vertical line of force through the spine. The diaphragm remains level and domed, allowing pressure to be generated downward and outward in a balanced way. Because of this alignment, most of the load acting on the spine is compressive. Compression, when evenly distributed, is the safest force for the spine and is well tolerated by vertebral bodies and discs.

The arrows in Image A show pressure being contained within the trunk rather than escaping forward or backward. This allows spinal muscles to work efficiently with minimal effort. The lumbar curve is present but controlled, and the spine behaves like a stable pillar rather than a bending hinge.

In Image B, the rib cage is tilted backward while the pelvis shifts or tilts forward, creating a “scissor” relationship. This breaks the vertical stacking of the trunk. The diaphragm becomes angled and flattened, losing its ability to manage pressure evenly. As a result, pressure is redirected anteriorly and inferiorly.

This misalignment significantly increases shear forces at the lumbar spine, especially at the L5–S1 level. Shear forces attempt to slide one vertebra over another, something the lumbar spine is poorly designed to handle. To compensate, spinal extensors and passive structures such as ligaments and facet joints are overloaded. Over time, this contributes to stiffness, fatigue, and low back pain.

27/01/2026

Absolutely how myofascial body work can alleviate postural driven back pain

27/01/2026

An example of how myofascial body work helps with the tension system.

Hamstrings, Sacrotuberous Ligament & SI Joint: A Hidden Biomechanical Link

This image highlights a powerful but often overlooked anatomical connection between the hamstrings, sacrotuberous ligament, and the sacroiliac (SI) joint complex. What looks like separate structures actually function as a continuous myofascial and ligamentous system that plays a major role in pelvic and spinal stability.

On the left, the superficial dissection shows how the hamstrings blend into the posterior thigh fascia and connect upward toward the pelvis. Rather than ending only at the ischial tuberosity, the hamstring fascia integrates with the sacrotuberous ligament, forming a strong tension-transmitting structure between the femur and sacrum.

The deeper dissection on the right reveals that the tendon of the long head of biceps femoris directly connects into the sacrotuberous ligament, which then blends with the SI joint ligaments. This means hamstring tension can directly influence sacral position and SI joint mechanics. Increased hamstring tone can increase tension across the SI joint, affecting load transfer between the trunk and lower limb.

Biomechanically, this connection is crucial during activities like walking, running, bending, and lifting. When the hamstrings contract, they don’t just extend the hip—they also contribute to force closure of the SI joint, enhancing pelvic stability. However, excessive stiffness or asymmetry in the hamstrings can overload the sacrotuberous ligament and contribute to SI joint pain or dysfunction.

Clinically, this explains why hamstring tightness is often associated with low back pain, pelvic pain, or SI joint symptoms. Treating the hamstrings alone without considering their sacral and fascial connections may provide only temporary relief.

The hamstrings are not just knee flexors or hip extensors—they are integral stabilizers of the pelvis and SI joint. Understanding this anatomical continuity helps clinicians and movement professionals address pain, posture, and performance more effectively by treating the entire lumbopelvic system, not isolated muscles.

19/01/2026

Posture can be altered with Structural Integration and stability created through specific movement re education. This is what we do at Embody Wellness. Ask me how!

This diagram presents a comprehensive sagittal-plane biomechanical analysis of human posture, demonstrating how variations in head position, spinal curvature, and pelvic alignment interact to influence whole-body mechanics. The vertical dashed line represents the ideal line of gravity, and all marked values (h, a, b, c, D, L, P) quantify deviations from this optimal alignment. Even small departures from this line significantly increase joint moments and muscular workload due to long lever arms.

In the left figure, the posture is relatively neutral and mechanically efficient. The head remains close to the gravity line, keeping the horizontal head offset (b) minimal and reducing cervical bending moments. Consequently, the vertical height difference (h) remains small, indicating limited compensatory elevation or depression of the head. The cervical compensation distance (c) is also minimal, reflecting a neck position that does not require excessive muscular correction to maintain horizontal gaze.

The trunk alignment in this posture shows reduced global deviation (a) and a smaller cumulative spinal displacement (D). The spinal curves—cervical lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and lumbar lordosis—are balanced, allowing compressive forces to be transmitted efficiently along the spinal column. At the pelvic level, rotational torque (P) is controlled, and the lumbar lever arm (L) remains short, limiting excessive lumbar extension. This alignment permits smooth load transfer through the pelvis and hip joint, minimizing shear and compressive stresses.

In contrast, the right figure illustrates a dysfunctional postural pattern characterized by forward head posture, exaggerated spinal curves, and anterior pelvic tilt. The head shifts anteriorly, increasing the horizontal offset (b) and elevating the vertical displacement (h). To keep the eyes level, the cervical spine increases its compensatory curvature, reflected by a larger c value. These changes dramatically raise cervical extensor muscle demand and joint loading.

As the trunk moves forward, the global trunk deviation (a) and total spinal deviation (D) increase, producing larger bending moments across the thoracic and lumbar spine. The lumbar curvature becomes exaggerated, lengthening the lumbar lever arm (L) and increasing compressive forces on the posterior spinal elements, particularly the facet joints and intervertebral discs. The blue arrows illustrate the anterior shift of body mass, while the orange and green arrows depict gravitational and muscular stabilizing forces acting to prevent collapse.

At the pelvic level, the increased anterior tilt generates higher rotational torque (P), altering acetabular orientation and increasing anterior hip joint loading. These pelvic changes propagate distally, influencing lower-limb mechanics and potentially affecting gait efficiency. The combined effect of increased h, b, c, a, D, L, and P explains why this posture is associated with higher energy expenditure, muscular fatigue, and a greater risk of neck pain, low back pain, and hip dysfunction.

Overall, this diagram emphasizes that posture is a linked biomechanical system rather than a collection of isolated segments. Deviations measured by the labeled values quantify how compensations at the head or pelvis amplify stresses throughout the kinetic chain. Understanding these relationships is essential for clinical assessment, rehabilitation planning, and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, particularly in conditions involving chronic postural imbalance or altered gait mechanics.

13/01/2026

Rolfing® Structural Integration views the human form as an interwoven system where muscles, bones, nerves, and organs are all connected through a web of fascia.

Rather than treating a sore shoulder in isolation, we address how the entire system might be contributing to that shoulder pain; how tension, alignment, gravity, and fascia interact.

This holistic perspective is at the core of Rolfing® SI.