What is Anterior and Posterior Pelvic Tilt

Nov 12, 2023

If you have ever suffered from back or hip pain, it could be a result of muscles around the pelvis shortening or weaking altering the position of the pelvis. This can be unilateral (one sided) or bilateral (occur on both sides of the body). this is known as Anterior or Posterior Pelvic Tilt which could cause or be caused by excessive tilt of the pelvis either forward or towards your back. This is only one of a multiple reason you may have Lumbar Back Pain (LBP).

These are the usual causes of both Anterior and Posterior Pelvic Tilt, particularly in the core muscles, hip flexors, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles. This can affect movement patterns and stability, increasing the risk of injury including knee and ankle problems. Leading to any of the following.

Lower Back Pain

The exaggerated curvature of the lower back can put excessive stress on the lumbar spine, leading to chronic lower back pain.

Hip and Pelvic Pain

Anterior pelvic tilt can cause discomfort and pain in the hips and pelvic region due to the altered position and increased strain on the hip joints and can also be a cause of hip impingement.

Poor Posture

Forward tilt of the pelvis can contribute to poor posture, making your belly protrude and excessive pressure on your intervertebral discs.

Gait Abnormalities

This is how you walk or run, you may assume that the pain your having in the knee or ankle could actually be originating in your hip.

A postural assessment involving looking at the deviations and then deciding what treatment can be used to rectify the tilt. Part of the treatment is to determine what the actual cause of the the pelvic tilt is, this could as simple as sitting at a desk or driving all day, also the way you stand could also impact the the way the muscles are being used if you do not notice that you stand with your weight on one side.

So after a chat and the postural assessment, we may conclude that your pain is due to some altered posture. Then how do we go about correcting and relieving you from pain. This is done by using soft tissue techniques such as Myofasicial Release (a massage technique to help tense muscles MYO and connective tissue FASCIA to lengthen and it’s not painful) possibly other treatments to help with various assisted stretching methods, then you’ll be given some homework to do.