top of page
Create Environment For Healing
Before implementing any exercise program when being injured or experiencing any discomfort in the body, the fist step is to find the root cause by assessing existing overcompensation patterns in relation to affected area. Understanding vectors would explain why people have bulged discs in their spine or suffer from the lower back pain. Understanding anchor points can explain why most people with tight shoulders in addition to neck and shoulder injuries might have pelvic floor, bladder or bowel issues.
Our Studio has developed a unique teaching method specifically designed to restore proper biomechanics to accelerate the process of healing and perform at its best. We look at the physics and human anatomy linking them together. As movement specialist, we do not diagnose or provide treatment. We do however look at the forces applied to affected area and analyse where they are coming from. In particular, we assess the ratio of engagement between the front myofascial line, the backline, existing vectors and anchor points.
Understanding Vectors
(Why Lower Back And Piriformis Hurts)
Understanding Anchor Points
(and Why Your Neck Should Not Be One Of Them)
An anchor point by definition is a fixed point of support, used to secure or stabilize another object or structure. Understanding the forces acting on an anchor point is crucial for ensuring the stability and safety of any structure that is supported by it. It can also help to prevent damage or failure of the anchor point itself.
The overuse of our necks as anchor points on a daily basis causes excessive mechanical stress to our joints (friction and compression), adding unnecessary load to cardiac and lymphatic systems. Shoulder injuries and neck overuse are directly linked to heart issues, pelvic floor issues, prolapses, prostate issues, incontinence and bowel/ digestive issues among others.
Neck overuse also directly impacts the buoyancy of our nervous system and restricts the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. That can lead to hormonal imbalances and brain diseases (dementia among others). Similar to electrical wiring in a house, we cannot safely run the whole house on one circuit and extension cords.
Once we restore proper posture and movement pattern, the body will be in suitable environment to heal and perform at its best.
Picture below - Correct anchor points at the sit bones and 9th rib (lat and serratus anterior line)
Please watch the video below for quick self assessment
Is My Body Hanging on the Neck -Movement Analysys
Play Video
Understanding Myofascial Lines
Compound Pulley System
Copyright @BackToBalance
www.backtobalancepilates.com
Our muscles don't work in isolation. They are connected throughout the body as a network of pathways and highways, making it easier or harder for the body to move.
Just like choosing more efficient route and transport means when planning a trip, we can choose a highway or walk through the bushes. We can walk next to the highway, or we can catch a free bus which travels in the highest gear on a bus lane. Our body is similar - we can choose to move our leg anchoring it to the neck and straining the joints along the way, or we can choose the highway with free bus, lifting it using the core with no effort whatsoever.
Those alternate, bypassing the core pathways, work as redundancy systems (for instance if we get injured), but relying on them long term will lead to troubles.
.
The most important lines to be balanced are:
1. Emotional Line - Trapezius area, SCM
This line provides emotional input/output from thumb and index finger directly to the brain and is involved in movement of the forearm.
Using this Line for entire arm movement destabilises the body causing imbalances and diseases.
2. Deep Front Line - the body's 'power compressor' Diaphragm, Psoas, Iliacus, TVA This line excludes adductors (except anterior part of Adductor Magnus) and runs down VMO to the inside of the ankle working as one unit.
3. Deep Back line - Deep Hip Rotators, Pelvic Floor (mainly Levator Ani), Adductors Magnus and Brevis only (excluded Longus and Pectineus as they belong to superficial FL) Tibialis Posterior
4. Dividing Superficial Back Line into 2 separate lines
Separating those lines is critical to offload the entire spinal column and provide stability to body's anchor points.
a) Spinal Line – allows entire spine to rest peacefully inside pelvis, stabilises spinal column and balances the nervous system
b) Anchor Line - Calves and Hamstrings (semimembranosus and semitendinosus) via Q Femoris and Obturator Externus directly to TVA and Diaphragm (deep front line)
5. Superficial Front Line - additional power line to move the legs
Tibialis anterior, Rectus Femoris, Adductor Longus and Pectineus, External Obliques and Rectus Abdominis)
In addition to generating energy via ATP, our muscle fibers also work as ropes similar to the pulley system applied in physics. Those principles commonly used in rigging and rescue, are directly applicable in our body, especially at the knee and ankle joint.
Applying those principles at the knee joint significantly accelerates healing, regardless of the type of injury (including full ACL tear)
Your Feet And Hands Can Tell A Story
Our fingers, wrists, feet and ankles work as a rudder in a plane or a boat - they allow to steer our myofascial fines, tweaking the tension if needed. If rudder movement is out of control, our body can go off course or even towards crash landing! If you ever tripped over and twisted the ankle - you might know the feeling :)
When the forces on the rudder are too strong, they can lead to the damage - causing all feet issues, wrist issues (e.g carpal tunnel) and most common, often associated with age -arthritis.
Each finger connects to a different myofascial line - thumb and index finger connect to the neck and spinal extensors respectively, middle finger to the lats, ring finger - shoulder stabilizers and pinky to the serratus. Understanding and applying those connections can be a game changer for a number of chronic conditions experienced by people today. How we hold a drinking cap, open a door, type on keyboard, clean the house, chop the vegies will make a difference on a daily basis.
Ankle Connections - Inside to the Core - Outer Side to the Shoulder
Ankle Self-Assessment
How To Use Computer Mouse - Shoulder Biomechanics
Watch Now
What Other Health Care Practitioners Are Saying
Tegan Webster
Chiropractor, Exercise and Sport Science
I am an evidence based chiropractor with an exercise and sport science degree, and I really enjoy the approach Marta takes to teaching. Specifically speaking, Marta has a very fascial approach to how she does pilates. What this means is that Marta explains the bigger picture whilst you’re training, emphasising the connections that she is trying to build within your body through each exercise. Marta will talk about the general presentations and compensations if these connections aren’t working efficiently, helping people to understand why (for example) they might have hip pain due to poor foot control, or how their neck pain is a consequence of a weak core. These classes have really helped me to slow down and learn to have better awareness and control over my body and how it moves. It has been very humbling to realise that whilst I ’m relatively strong, how terrible I am dissociating different parts of my body and keeping some things still whilst others are moving without using the wrong muscles. Back to Balance is a place where members are constantly being educated on the holistic approaches to movement, their ailments, and feeling better. I would highly recommend this place to my family, friends, my patients, and anyone that wants to learn more about helping themselves through movement.“
Karolina Wojciechowska
Remedial Massage therapist/Trainer and Assessor of Diploma of Remedial Massage courses
"I find Marta’s approach to exercise truly groundbreaking. Her ability to see and apply connections between anatomical structures and their function makes her exercises much more effective than any Pilates method or rehab exercises I have experienced before. The link she found between diaphragm, transverse abdominis, deep hip rotators, pelvic floor, psoas and vastus medialis, by methodic application, sets the VMO on fire. My tensor fasciae latae and vastus lateralis get offloaded, bringing more balance to my pelvic position, knees and ankles. Marta was able to see through my habitual posture and how I use my body and support me with dealing with stubborn muscular imbalances. After one year attending Back to Balance studio, my body has transformed and is getting more balanced with every class. I can feel my core, gluts and latissimus dorsi activating more than ever before in my daily activities, my upper traps more settled and my neck sitting in a more neutral position. My whole spine and posterior body feel strong and supported making any movement easier and more powerful. I would highly recommend all my massage clients and students try Marta’s approach and learn to use their body more efficiently."
Request More Information
If you would like to find out more about our course schedule, availability and the cost please contact us via the form below
bottom of page