07/28/2018
TIGHT MUSCLES THAT MAY BE THE CAUSE OF LATERAL PELVIC TILT
There are several kinds of pelvis tilts that are unhealthy for our body:
1. There is the anterior pelvic tilt, where the front of the pelvis is tilted downwards.
2. There is also the posterior pelvic tilt, which is the opposite of the anterior pelvic tilt, where the front of the pelvis is tilted upwards.
However, the lateral pelvic tilt is unique, in that the pelvis is tilted to the side where one side will be higher than the other.
Symptoms of a Lateral Pelvic Tilt
Other than one hip being higher than the other, the presence of a lateral pelvic tilt can have a drastic chain effect which reverberates not only from the pelvis downwards, but also up to the shoulders.
Uneven Hips – This is the obvious symptom. Now that we have briefly discussed what a lateral pelvic tilt, we now know that this is a tell-tale sign of its presence.
Uneven Shoulders – From the image above, you will see how the hip which is higher will usually result in the shoulder on the same side, being lower than the other side. This can cause someone to notice or think that they have uneven shoulders, when in fact it is a problem that stems from having a lateral pelvic tilt.
Leg Length Differences – Someone with a lateral pelvic tilt may think they have one leg longer than the other, or one leg shorter than the other. However, this is a myth as it is the tilt in the pelvis which makes it feel like the hip that is lower down is longer because the other leg doesn’t reach the ground when you stand. There are such things as true differences in leg length but most of the cases are misdiagnosed. The truth is that uneven hips creates this illusion. The best way to rule out a true leg length difference is to measure both legs. If you do have a true leg length discrepancy, then it is unlikely that these exercises I am about to discuss will be of use to you.
Leg Rotation – You can see from the diagram that the bones of the leg usually rotate internally as a result of a lateral pelvic tilt. What’s not to be ruled out, is that the internal rotation of all these bones could also be the cause of the lateral pelvic tilt. If it is the cause, then it starts all the way down at the foot. Typically, one foot will be pronated where the ankle is rolled inward, this could be a flat foot or a collapsed arch. When one foot becomes pronated, the shin bones and the femur rotate inward and the hip will drop.
Causes of a Lateral pelvic tilt
a) Muscular imbalances: (Sagittal plane)
A Lateral pelvic tilt can result from an imbalance between the Quadratus Lumborum, Adductors and Glute medius muscle.
Other muscles involved: Obliques, Tensor fascia latae
b) Sub-optimal habits:
Do you lean on one leg?
Do you sit more on one butt cheek than other other?
Do you always sleep on the same side?
If you do, then you have postural habits that may encourage the tilting of the pelvis!
c) Neurological conditions
Any condition that impacts the nerves that supply the control of the pelvic musculature may result in a laterally tilted pelvis.
(The superior gluteal nerve supplies the glute medius)
How to Fix a Lateral Pelvic Tilt
There are a couple of angles that can be taken to fix a lateral pelvic tilt. The first is to fix the flat feet (if you have them) and the other is to correct any muscle imbalances that may have developed that causes your body to hold onto the lateral pelvic tilt position - massage and proper exercise. The final step is to address the bad posture that causes the problem in the first place.
