THIS READING LIST IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. CHECK BACK LATER TO SEE ADDITIONS – ESPECIALLY RESOURCES ABOUT MALE PELVISES.
It is important to have a good anatomy book or two (or more) in your library. I can teach you where to put your hands and what to do when you get there. To truly understand what is between your hands while you are working could fuel a lifetime of study beyond what I can teach you. Anatomy is controversial. Anatomists disagree about whether it is normal to have or not have a certain body part. They also disagree about the names of body parts. The locations, sizes and shapes of body parts differ from person to person. This variability is the source of disagreement among anatomy experts. The books are different, too. This is the reason to have more than one book. We earn sales commissions from Amazon.
ANATOMY
Atlas of Human Anatomy by Frank Netter is a widely used classic text
Anatomy: a Regional Atlas of the Human Body by Carmine Clemente has great illustrations and also a widely used classic text.
Gray’s Anatomy (the latest edition) now has color illustrations and, as usual, the best narrative descriptions.
Anatomy Trains by Thomas W. Myers – I’m not sure why it took me so long to recommend this book. Remember, the bones are just handles. Mostly we are working with fascia when we are working in the physical realm. The illustrations in this book are great.
BOOKS ABOUT THE PELVIS
Pelvic Power: Mind/Body Exercises for Strength, Flexibility, Posture, and Balance for Men and Women by Eric Franklin is a great tool for understanding the pelvis. The illustrations are good. It also has nice body-mind exercises to help increase our pelvic awareness. This book is meaty enough for the professional and also accessible for lay people. It has some great ideas for helping our clients tune in and improve pelvic strength and mobility.
Preparing for a Gentle Birth: The Pelvis in Pregnancy by Blandine Calais-Germain. This book is amazing. Really amazing. The illustrations are fantastic. It takes us through all of the possible pelvic movements and explains their relevance to the birth process.
The Female Pelvis by Blandine Calais-Germain is accessible, accurate and has an emphasis on pregnancy and birth. It also has illustrated, clearly explained exercises to help women maintain good pelvic health.
Saving The Whole Woman by Christine Ann Kent fits best into the anatomy section, but it is really a manifesto about the hysterectomy and other female pelvic surgeries and their aftermath. I am unimpressed by the exercises she recommends for healing incontinence, prolapses, etc. but the anatomy and especially the descriptions of the surgical procedures makes this book a must read.
The Psoas Book by Liz Koch is really helpful for understanding the female pelvic mobility and alignment issues we encounter when treating people. The illustrations are very good.
Wild Feminine by Tami Lynn Kent – A wonderful book written by a PT who specializes in women’s health. This book focuses on women’s self discovery of the pelvis as the source of feminine creativity and so much more. I highly recommend this one.
Ending Female Pelvic Pain by Isa Herrera is a great book. It breaks down the anatomy and also covers the pathological conditions that can cause female pelvic pain. This book is a self-help guide, but also written in enough depth to guide practitioners.
Ending Male Pelvic Pain by Isa Herrera is just as great as her book about female pelvic pain. The anatomy section is solid as well as the descriptions of the pathology involved in male pelvic pain. Like her book about female pelvic pain, this is a self-help guide, but also written in enough depth to guide practitioners.
Pelvic Liberation: Using Yoga, Self-Inquiry, and Breath Awareness for Pelvic Health by Leslie Howard is an awesome book. I have studied with Leslie on three separate occasions. She is funny, clear and loving in her approach. In this book you will learn how to do some self-assessment of your pelvic floor. Then you will learn how to use common yoga practices to heal. This book is focused on female pelvises, but many of the techniques will also address the concerns of male pelvis owners.