Lumbopelvic Dissociation

by Mitch Hauschildt, MA, ATC, CSCS

Lumbopelvic Dissociation is a challenging topic with poor understanding of why it is important.  The concept of lumbopelvic dissociation is based on the fact that most people don’t know how to separate their pelvis and hip from the lumbar spine.  If you have poor dissociation, the pelvis and low back move together, instead of in separate units.  This is typically because of poor motor control in the region and an overall lack of understanding. 

Many times the lumbar spine and pelvis need to move together, but it is important that we know how to separate them as needed.  An inability to do so, often leads to poor loading (lumbar lordosis, for example) which then becomes painful and can lead to other, more serious injuries.  Oftentimes people with poor lumbopelvic dissociation present with a large anterior pelvic tilt, resulting in lengthened hamstrings and hip flexors that may be shortened and overworked.  

I use lumbopelvic exercises as both a training and evaluation tool.  If I ask someone to perform a basic pelvic tilt and they don’t have the ability to do so, then we need to train that exercise with repetition.  In the video below I discuss a few simple exercises for enhancing lumbopelvic dissociation.  If you or your patients find these challenging, then you have work to do.