The many pelvises theory - The United Strengths

Go ahead and stand up and thrust your pelvis right now. Which one, you ask? Good question!

Today, we go over what I call ‘the many pelvises theory’. You may know a little bit about the pelvis you mostly use, but why limit yourself to just one? Let’s broaden up the characteristics of the pelvis so that we can start enjoying as many as possible. Each pelvis should be like a room – it will have a floor, a ceiling, and walls. Each pelvis can stack on top of the one below so that they share a floor/ceiling.

In order to outline the 5 pelvises, we have to define each floor/ceiling. Each of these transition points is like a horizontal hoop along the body. These transition points can be identified by the fascial bands that run along their circumference, the spinal transition zone they anchor into, and what the ‘opening’ of the hoop is. This opening will either be labeled by what structure fills the opening or sometimes just the anatomical name given to that specific opening. As a bonus, there are coincidentally also 7 chakras (energy points) and these also line up pretty well with each transition point so I’ll mention those as well.

Note that the article is mostly intended for clinicians since it contains a lot of anatomical terms.

Head hoop

Fascial band: starts at the bridge of the nose and goes around the eyes, over the ears to the external occipital protuberance
Spinal transition zone: sphenobasilar junction
Opening: tentorium cerebelli
Crown chakra

Chin hoop

Fascial band: starts at the chin and goes along the bottom of the mandible and includes the hyoid, then goes under the ears to C0-2
Spinal transition zone: craniocervical junction (OA and AA joints)
Opening: floor of the mouth
3rd eye chakra

Neck hoop

Fascial band: starts at the top of the sternum and goes along the clavicles and top 2 ribs, splits to go over the shoulder and some fibers through the axilla, then along superior scapula to C6-T2
Spinal transition zone: cervicothoracic junction
Opening: superior thoracic aperture (usually called the thoracic outlet)
Throat chakra

Chest hoop

Fascial band: starts mid-chest over indention and goes along inferior border of pec major, along lateral border of lats, over the inferior angle of the scapula to T4-T8
Spinal transition zone: dorsal hinge – this is where the kyphosis of the thoracic spine is at its peak
Opening: top portion of inferior thoracic aperture
Heart chakra

Mid-trunk hoop

Fascial band: central point can vary anywhere from between the xiphoid process to the umbilicus, then continues along the lower 2 ribs to T11-L2
Spinal transition zone: thoracolumbar junction
Opening: inferior portion of inferior thoracic aperture with respiratory diaphragm
Solar plexus chakra

Abdominal hoop

Fascial band: starts anywhere between the umbilicus and pubic symphysis, then goes along inguinal ligaments to the ASISs, and follows the ala of the pelvis to L4-S1
Spinal transition zone: lumbosacral junction
Opening: pelvic inlet
Sacral chakra

Pelvic hoop

Fascial band: starts at pubic symphysis and goes along thighs to greater trochanters, along inferior margin of buttocks to sacrococcygeal junction
Spinal transition zone: sacrococcygeal junction
Opening: pelvic floor muscles
Root chakra

The many pelvises

Now that we have each transition point, defining the pelvises are easy! Each one just extends from one level to the next. I’ve outlined each pelvis’ ceiling, floor, walls, and what important structures they contain.

Head pelvis

Ceiling to floor: head hoop to chin hoop
Walls: skull
Contains: yo’ brain

Neck pelvis

Ceiling to floor: chin hoop to neck hoop
Walls: neck
Contains: speech and swallowing structures

Chest pelvis

Ceiling to floor: neck hoop to chest hoop
Walls: upper ribs
Contains: heart and lungs

Abdominal pelvis

Ceiling to floor: chest hoop to mid-trunk hoop to abdominal hoop. These 2 are combined since both mid-trunk and abdominal hoops connect into costal arch and diaphragm
Walls: lower ribs
Contains: lungs

Pelvic pelvis

Ceiling to floor: abdominal hoop to pelvic hoop
Walls: abdominal and back muscles
Contains: all of your internal organs except the heart and lungs

Clinical implications

It’s notable that each of the spinal transition zones are usually areas of heavy clinical focus for treatment. Clinicians will often target these areas specifically or even view them as ‘key links’ in musculoskeletal dysfunction. This is often accompanied by treatment of the corresponding fascial structures, usually along the fascial bands that connect to the spinal transition zone. Also it can be noted that 3 of the ‘openings’ of the hoops make up a set of muscles that function as a diaphragm and are often implicated in general dysfunction of that region. They are the chin hoop (floor of the mouth and suboccipitals for neck pain), the mid-trunk hoop (respiratory diaphragm for back pain), and the pelvic hoop (pelvic floor muscles for back and lower body pain).

There are many other theoretical implications that could be discussed here, but I present this information mostly just for your clinical interest. What is most important is that you now understand that basically all movement is some form of pelvic thrust. Your welcome.