Many surgical interventions occur because of long-term wear and tear that is the result of non-optimal biomechanics (as is the case with injuries as well). One common area of surgical intervention is at the hip joint. In fight or flight, the pelvis and hips become less mobile, and the lumbar spine compensates by hyper mobilizing. The immobility occurs because the pelvis changes position, and the femur is no longer able to fit optimally in the hip joint. Normally the head of the femur would move around the hip socket with a pendulum motion and a spiraling rotation. In fight or flight, the head of the femur may be compressed against one side of the hip socket, or it may fully or partially dislocate. In this case, motor repatterning can be an excellent alternative to surgical intervention. With a biomechanically optimal pelvic position and improved mobility at the hip joint, many clients are able to achieve the pain relief and improved function they desire without surgery.
Because the whole body structure is altered in fight or flight, and because it is not uncommon for these patterns to become our dominant movement patterns, there is a lot of potential for change to occur through motor repatterning prior to considering surgery.