The Saddle Patterns of the Human Body: Posterior Saddle, Anterior Saddle, Lateral Saddle and the Journey Back to Regulation

By Dr. Wendy Coburn
One Village Family Chiropractic Community – Edmonton, Alberta

One of the things I watch for every day in practice is how a person carries themselves through gravity.

Not just posture.

Not just pain.

Not just movement.

I watch how their nervous system organizes itself.

Because the body is always adapting.

When stress enters our lives—physical stress, emotional stress, chemical stress, inflammatory stress, injury, surgery, pregnancy, birth trauma, repetitive work, poor sleep, lack of movement—the body creates strategies to survive.

These strategies are brilliant.

Until they become permanent.

Over time, these adaptations create recognizable patterns. One of the easiest ways to understand them is through what I often call saddle patterns.

The body can organize into a posterior saddle, an anterior saddle, or a lateral saddle.

None of these patterns are diseases.

None of them mean something is “wrong” with you.

They simply tell a story about how your nervous system has learned to manage stress and maintain safety.

The challenge is that eventually these compensations stop being helpful and start creating symptoms.

That is where chiropractic care, movement, nutrition, mindset, and nervous system regulation become so important.

The Posterior Saddle

The posterior saddle is the pattern I see most frequently.

Imagine a horse saddle tipping backward.

The pelvis tucks underneath.

The lower back loses its natural curve.

The thoracic spine rounds.

The shoulders roll forward.

The head drifts forward.

The person often appears collapsed into gravity.

These individuals frequently sit for long periods, spend years at desks, have experienced chronic stress, injuries, pregnancies, or simply decades of adapting to modern life.

The nervous system begins to favor protection over performance.

Common symptoms include:

• Chronic low back tension
• Tight hamstrings
• Glute weakness
• Pelvic floor dysfunction
• Constipation
• Neck tension
• Headaches
• Poor balance
• Reduced athletic performance
• Fatigue
• Shallow breathing

What is fascinating is that many people assume their muscles are weak.

The reality is often different.

The nervous system has simply stopped communicating efficiently.

The body has chosen stability over mobility.

Protection over performance.

When the nervous system perceives threat, it often recruits global stabilizers and turns off finer movement patterns.

This creates the classic pattern of:

• Tight muscles that feel weak
• Weak muscles that feel tight
• Reduced endurance
• Poor coordination

Many pelvic floor challenges live here.

When the pelvis tucks underneath and the diaphragm loses optimal movement, the pelvic floor cannot coordinate efficiently.

This is where many people become trapped in cycles of:

• Pelvic tension
• Incontinence
• Constipation
• Hip pain
• SI joint discomfort
• Lower back pain

The solution is rarely “squeeze harder.”

The solution is helping the nervous system feel safe enough to organize differently.

The Anterior Saddle

The opposite pattern is the anterior saddle.

In this pattern, the pelvis tips forward.

The lower back becomes excessively arched.

The ribs flare upward.

The abdomen pushes forward.

The neck extends backward.

Many athletic individuals live here.

Many dancers.

Many gym enthusiasts.

Many individuals who have spent years trying to “stand up straight.”

At first glance they often appear to have excellent posture.

But underneath the surface there is often significant compensation.

The body becomes dependent on extension.

The nervous system relies on muscular tension to create stability.

These individuals often experience:

• Lower back pain
• Hip flexor tightness
• Pelvic floor overactivity
• Difficulty relaxing
• Jaw tension
• Rib pain
• Breathing dysfunction
• Neck stiffness
• Headaches

Many women experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction after pregnancy can fall into this category.

The body attempts to create stability through extension.

The nervous system says:

“If I tighten enough, perhaps I will feel safe.”

But tension is not the same thing as stability.

This is one of the greatest misunderstandings in health care.

More tension does not equal more strength.

More bracing does not equal more function.

Sometimes the strongest thing a nervous system can do is let go.

The Lateral Saddle

The third pattern is the lateral saddle.

Imagine a saddle slipping off one side of the horse.

One hip becomes higher.

One shoulder becomes lower.

Weight shifts predominantly onto one side.

The body rotates.

This pattern is incredibly common.

Many people stand with most of their weight on one leg.

Many carry children on one hip.

Many have previous injuries.

Old ankle sprains.

Knee injuries.

Concussions.

Jaw injuries.

Birth trauma.

Scoliosis.

Even visual disturbances can contribute.

The nervous system begins creating asymmetrical strategies.

The body no longer loads evenly.

Common findings include:

• One-sided hip pain
• SI joint pain
• Knee pain
• Foot pain
• Uneven shoulder tension
• Jaw dysfunction
• Recurrent injuries
• Balance challenges
• Asymmetrical muscle development

Many runners, golfers, hockey players, and desk workers develop lateral saddle patterns.

Over time these asymmetries become normal to the brain.

The body forgets what balanced feels like.

The person adapts so gradually they often do not notice it until pain appears.

The Nervous System’s Role

This is where the conversation becomes truly important.

The saddle pattern is not the problem.

The nervous system strategy behind it is.

Your body is constantly asking one question:

“Am I safe?”

Safety is not simply the absence of danger.

Safety is a neurological experience.

When the nervous system perceives safety, it allows:

• Better breathing
• Better digestion
• Better hormone regulation
• Better immune function
• Better movement
• Better healing
• Better sleep

When the nervous system perceives threat, even subtly, it shifts resources toward survival.

Muscles tighten.

Breathing changes.

Posture changes.

Movement changes.

Decision making changes.

Healing slows.

This is why two people can have identical X-rays and completely different symptoms.

The nervous system determines how the body experiences the world.

Why Chiropractic Matters

This is why our focus is never simply pain.

Pain is often the last thing to appear and the first thing to leave.

The deeper question is:

How is the nervous system adapting?

Chiropractic care helps restore communication between the brain and body.

It helps remove interference that may be limiting the body’s ability to organize efficiently.

It helps improve awareness.

Awareness of posture.

Awareness of movement.

Awareness of balance.

Awareness of tension.

Awareness of self.

Research from Heidi Haavik and others continues to demonstrate that chiropractic adjustments influence how the brain processes information from the body.

When the brain receives clearer information, it can make better decisions.

Better decisions lead to better adaptation.

Better adaptation leads to better regulation.

Regulation Before Performance

One of the biggest mistakes people make is chasing performance before regulation.

They attempt to strengthen a body that does not yet feel safe.

They add more exercise.

More stretching.

More intensity.

More force.

But if the nervous system is still operating from protection, it simply builds compensation on top of compensation.

This is why our approach often includes:

• Chiropractic care
• Walking
• Mobility work
• Breathing exercises
• Sleep improvement
• Nutritional support
• Hydration
• Nervous system education
• Mindset practices

We are helping the body rediscover safety.

When safety returns, function improves.

When function improves, strength develops more naturally.

When strength develops naturally, resilience follows.

The Goal Is Not Perfect Posture

Many people think the goal is perfect posture.

It is not.

The goal is adaptability.

A healthy nervous system can move easily between positions.

It can flex.

Extend.

Rotate.

Rest.

Recover.

Respond.

Adapt.

The healthiest person is not the one who stands perfectly still.

The healthiest person is the one whose nervous system can adapt efficiently to life’s demands.

That is true for newborns.

It is true for children.

It is true for athletes.

It is true for parents.

It is true for seniors.

The body was designed to move.

The nervous system was designed to regulate.

Health emerges when the two work together.

At One Village Family Chiropractic Community, we are not simply looking at where something hurts.

We are looking at how your nervous system is organizing itself through gravity, movement, stress, and life.

Because when we help the body move from protection toward regulation, from compensation toward adaptation, and from survival toward connection, remarkable things can happen.

Not because we forced healing.

But because we created an environment where healing became possible.

And that journey begins with helping your nervous system remember that it is safe.

Dr. Wendy Coburn
One Village Family Chiropractic Community
Serving families, athletes, babies, children, parents, and seniors throughout Edmonton and surrounding communities