Regression: why were her bones in that configuration in the first place? Likely answer: it was less painful than the alternative. You've removed her injury splinting and now she's back to the original post-injury, pre-splint condition.

Or else she's given herself a new injury. That happens too ;-}

Oh wow I can move so much easier! *snap* oops

Cellular memory. Muscles remember where they were and if they leave that position, new settling occurs and or prior conditions come out of the wood work. If you know any energy modalities, I would try that to get to the "core" of the issue she is experiencing. If it isn't mean it won't be.

I agree with ChongNoi - either you took the client back to acute stage by removing splinting - which is not unusual in low back injuries. Or. She threw out her back because she was loose but not strong yet along the week lines of the splinting.

In my practice I use the lightest touch first, because it allows the body to adjust systemically and I don't have to guess the exact pattern of push and pull the muscles are in. In the case you described I'd work the illio-psoas first, retest for back pain, and then hold the leg gently at foot and knee with the client in sitting position - the support would make the body feels safe to release to the next stage it would be ready for.

The problem with taking clients back to the acute stage is that they will often experience a sharp, specific pain and a lot of fear. The fear can easily make them blame the therapist as during the original injury there was very likely an effort to 'dissociate' from the pain - the blaming is another way of dissociating from the pain.

I use the following sequence and have very, very few exacerbations - almost never ones that are worse than what the clients comes to me with. I ask the client to hold a position or move in a way that causes them the greatest discomfort. As I watch them I have the 'next step' present itself to me - in the beginning the area I treat may be very far away from the place where they feel pain. Then I do a release (often may-ofacial, sometimes a trigger point). Then I have the client repeat the original motion which caused them pain. in 95% of cases there is improvement, in 75% there is dramatic improvement.

I check this way each portion of the treatment. The follow-up movement/pose allows the body to integrate what I did and reassures me that I am working at the speed the client can handle. Seeing the 'next step' is the most intuitive aspect of my work and I can't convey how you would do what I do without perhaps writing a book. One suggestion that may help is to use reflex areas in hands, feet, face and ears first, or look for the smallest change you can make first or look for the part of the body 'most still' and treat it in the gentlest way you can think of first.

Since your client had a cortizone shot you now will not have an accurate feedback from her body for a while now. I you take her body further in a direction away from one into which she naturally adjusted, you will risk serious pain when the effect of cortizone wears off.

The safest thing is to have her do crunches specific to the ilio-psoas, and systemic work like rocking to loosen the body along lines it can handle now. As her middle gets stronger, she will change the way she holds her body.

I would strongly discourage adjusting people for sake of symetry - it presuposes a complete understanding of the existing muscle and fascia tensions. I don't believe anyone has that kind of knowledge. And. If they do succeed somehow, the chances are great that they've erased the structural markers the body holds to emotional issues - which ultimately will make for a less conscious client.