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Posterior Spiral Line Sacrotuberous ligament 4th hamstring Front Middle part of adductor magnus Biceps femoris (long head) Linea aspera Peroneus longus Biceps femoris (short head) Inside A The front and back of the lower Spiral Line jump rope present compensatory problems and thus treatment opportunities. B Outside client from the front, if an imaginary flashlight in the patella points more inward than one placed over the second metatarsal of the foot, it is worth considering whether the front lower Spiral Line could use some opening. The posterior part of the lower Spiral Line is a direct connection from the lateral arch to the SI joint (Image 10A). If your usual efforts to ease SI joint pain have failed you, it is worth looking to the posterior lower Spiral Line, especially its effect on the cuboid and heel bones, as a distant but relevant place to visit. Whew! When I agreed to write this up on the arch and supinates the foot and is thus an antagonist of the fibularis longus that, when shortened, pronates the foot, is not a new one. The new piece here is that fascially they both extend all the way up to the pelvis by means of their extensions in the thigh. Thus, an anterior tilt of the pelvis, left to itself, will predispose the client to foot pronation, and a posterior tilt leads to foot supination. The opposite patterns also lead to distinct strategies: If the pelvis is tilted anteriorly and the foot supinated, you will find shortness along the anterior lower Spiral Line—in the tensor fasciae latae or tibialis anterior. If the converse pattern is present and the pelvis is tucked under and the foot is pronated, look for excess muscular tension in the fibularis or outer hamstring. Treatment strategies for these patterns are expanded in the Anatomy Trains book. One last set of points on the front and back of the lower Spiral Line: in the front, note that the stations (attachment points) of the lower Spiral line are the front of the hip (ASIS), outside of the knee, and inside the ankle. As this line tightens, it could, as we have said, pull up on the ankle or down on the hip, but often the effect is to medially rotate the knee as the line straightens (Image 10B). Looking at your series (which, as with all writing I do, is a way to make these issues clear in my own squiggly brain), I had not realized how complex these articles would get— but they need to be to tell the whole story. Next time, we will tackle the arms and the arm lines. This is such a complex of anatomical relationships that we will stick primarily with the shoulders—and hopefully we have given you enough here to work with for the next couple of months. Notes 1. Robert A. Dart, "Voluntary Musculature in the Human Body; The Double-Spiral Arrangement," British Journal of Physical Medicine 13, no. 12 (December 1950): 265–8. Accessed November 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14791941. 2. Anatomy Trains (Elsevier, 2009) details other historical attempts at linking muscles functionally. 3. The associated resources and learning materials mentioned in this BodyReading the Meridians column are available at www.anatomytrains.com/store. Thomas Myers is the author of Anatomy Trains (Elsevier, 2009) and Fascial Release for Structural Balance (North Atlantic, 2010). Myers studied with Ida Rolf and has practiced integrative bodywork for more than 35 years. He directs Kinesis, which offers more than 100 professional certifications and continuing education seminars per year worldwide. For more information, visit www.anatomytrains.com. Celebrate ABMP's 25th anniversary and you may win a refund on your membership. ABMP.com. 99