You can almost see the motor coordination and development happening. Very cool.

Natural Alignment is a way of seeing and assessing human bodies based on their specific genetic structural pattern. This scale talks about the body through the tilt/shift ranges of the pelvis. We will label these patterns based on the simple tilt variants from extreme Posterior Tilt (PT) through Neutral to extreme Anterior Tilt (AT).

[We will talk in tilt only for ease and posterior tilt's referred to as PT's and anterior tilt's referred to as AT's.]

It is easy to visualize these variations within cultural structural patterns exhibited by the two most extreme ones on the planet. This visualization is not meant to judge populations or be racist but to illustrate this point. NOTE: all populations vary and are spread through the scale. A PT person exhibits very Asian characteristics – pelvis tilts back and shifts anterior (forward) giving them a flatter butt. The AT cultures are typically African with pelvis’ that tilt anterior and shift posterior (back) giving a bigger butt look.

The shoulder girdle always counterbalances the pelvis so moves in opposition. Posterior tilt’s have anterior tilted shoulder girdles. Anterior tilt pelvis’ have posterior tilted shoulder girdles.

Davinci’s Vitruvian Man is classically Neutral.

We are born with our structural genetic pattern,our Natural Alignment, and this does not deviate in life, it’s always the same. Here is how to find out what you are.

Posterior Tilt structures have flatter (straighter) cervical and lumbar curves, and their sacrum and occiput/parietals (near the lambdoidal suture) will also feel flatter. They transmit their weight through their heels and lateral arches and thus have higher arches. They like to hyper-extend at the knee. Tension will be carried more in the deep rotators, gluteals and hamstrings in this type of body. Tension will be more in the anterior structures of the upper body as well. Posterior tilt’s have the reverse tilt/shift in the shoulder girdle. They will naturally have anterior tilted scapulas, medial humerus, with a tension in the pectoralis major and minor.

Anterior Tilt structures have deep lordotic curves in the lumbars and cervicals. There occiput and parietal bones will feel more convex then a Posterior Tilt. This goes for the sacrum as well – it will be more curved or convex then a PT. Anterior tilts will have flatter arches as they transmit their weight through the front of the calcaneus upon heel strike and weight more forward of their ankle. There will be more of a bend to the knee in standing then the hyper-extended posterior tilt’s knees. More tension will be carried in the back in the upper body and in the adductor group and the front of the legs.

PT on the left, AT on the right:

There are so many recommendations out there – many conflicting, telling us which shoes to wear or how to walk and that may be right for someone and absolutely a disaster structurally to someone else. We will explore what works for whom through the Natural Alignment lens in further blogs. Stay tuned.

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UNTIL he met a reclusive tribe of near-mythical athletes at the bottom of a Mexican canyon, Micah True could never figure out why his running injuries got worse as his running shoes got better. Then, the Tarahumara Indians taught him a lesson that even Nike is now starting to embrace: the best shoe may be no shoe at all.

Mr. True, 53, from Nederland, Colo., wasn’t the only one baffled by the injury mystery. For years kinesiology professors, physical therapists and athletic-shoe designers have been puzzling over the same paradox: if running shoe protection and cushioning have improved, why haven’t injuries among joggers
decreased?

“The technological advancements over the past 30 years have been amazing,” said Dr. Irene Davis, the director of the Running Injury Clinic at the University of Delaware. “We’ve seen tremendous innovations in motion control and cushioning. And yet the remedies don’t seem to defeat the ailments.”

Since the running boom of the 70′s, giants like Nike, Adidas and New Balance have rivaled Silicon Valley for speed of R. & D. rollout, releasing improved products nearly every six months. One shoe, the Adidas 1, even has microprocessors that analyze foot impact and adjust cushioning with each stride. New Balance has a motion-control shoe so finely engineered it costs $199.99. Still, 65 percent to 80 percent of all runners – joggers and elite marathoners alike – are injured in an average year, according to Dr. Davis. Aching Achilles tendons, sore knees, inflamed arches and hobbling plantar fascia pain are as common today as they were when boot camp grunts were jogging in canvas Converse “Chuckies.”

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