PNF Pelvic Diagonals (Hip Clocks)

Pelvic diagonals on the right side:

Patient is lying on their left side with their shoulders and hips square on the table and their hips flexed to 60 degrees with their lumbar spine in neutral.

You ask the patient to imagine a clock resting on top of their right hip so that 12 is closest to the shoulder and 6 closest to their feet, 3 is in front and 9 is towards the back.

You tell the patient that we are going to work from 1-2 o’clock (anterior elevation) down to 7-8 o’clock (posterior depression).

Start first by asking the patient to isometrically hold various positions along the diagonal from 1-2 down to 7-8 o’clock then work eccentrically giving you resistance as you pull down towards 7-8 or push up towards 1-2. You finish by asking the patient to pull the hip up towards 1-2 or push down and back towards 7-8 against your resistance.

The patient must avoid activating the right shoulder and right side of the neck during this activity and avoid moving out of the neutral position in their low back.

Manual Therapy for Restricted 9 o’clock – restricted pelvic rotation to the R and/or restricted sacral anterior nutation on the L

Treated as above except the patient is lying on their R side working through the pelvis from 10-11 o’clock (anterior elevation) down to 4-5 o’clock (posterior depression).