Excessive sitting or standing for long periods may result in pain and tightness in your back muscles, leading to weakness and numbness in your legs and buttocks.
These conditions strain your pelvis, a group of bones held together by neighboring joints, tendons, and ligaments–eventually pulling them out of alignment. With this condition, you may experience difficulty walking, trouble sleeping, and problems accomplishing daily activities.
It’s crucial to seek medical attention if your lower back pain develops suddenly and persists for more than a week.
How Do You Get a Twisted Pelvis?
Several factors increase your risk of getting a twisted pelvis, such as:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Genetics
- Pregnancy
The common causes of pelvic misalignment include:
- Limited mobility
- Sideways curve in your backbone (Spinal Scoliosis)
- Neuromuscular conditions (Cerebral Palsy and Muscular Dystrophy)
- Unequal leg length
- Poor posture
- Muscle imbalances
- Obesity
- Extra belly weight from pregnancy
- Childbirth
Forward, Backward, and Sideward Pelvic Tilts
Usually, your pelvis should be tilted in a neutral position while standing or sitting. However, if it twists too far forward, back, or sideways, it may result in a pelvic tilt. There are three types of pelvic tilt: anterior, posterior, and lateral misalignment.
An anterior pelvic tilt, also known as forward tilt, may tighten and accentuate the curve on your lower back. Meanwhile, a posterior pelvic or backward tilt arches the bank inward. If your pelvis is tilted on the side, you might be experiencing a lateral pelvic tilt where you’ll typically feel pain on one side of the hip.
What are the Symptoms of Pelvic Misalignment?
Lack of physical activity causes your pelvis and spine to develop an abnormal curve. Some people with pelvic misalignment often don’t notice the symptoms despite differences in how they sit, stand, and walk. Meanwhile, others may experience lingering pain in the back, hips, or knees, together with the following symptoms below.
Tight Hamstring or Hip Flexor Muscles
The hamstrings are a group of muscles located at the back of your thigh. If you have a tilted pelvis, your quadriceps shorten while your hamstrings elongate. Tight hamstrings are usually caused by sports-related injuries from running, dancing, and sprinting, among other activities.
Protruding Stomach and Lower Spine Curving In
People with poor posture often stick their abdomen and stomach out excessively. With a tilted pelvis, your lower back arch becomes more pronounced, which creates an unbalanced appearance.
Rounded Shoulders and Hunched Neck
Bending over repeatedly or carrying heavy objects for prolonged periods inadvertently trains your body to hunch forward. As a result, your shoulders take on a slumped position. You may feel intensified neck and upper back pain if you don’t correct your shoulder posture.
Mild or Severe Lower Back Pain and Muscle Spasms
Back pain from severe muscle cramps can be intense for those diagnosed with pelvic misalignment. If you have a lower back spasm, your muscles may feel like they’re firmly contracting.
Headaches and Digestive Issues
Tight hip flexors cause pain and dysfunction anywhere else in your body. A tilted pelvis triggers headaches due to an unbalanced head and shoulder posture. Aside from joint and muscle pain, pelvic misalignment also causes digestive issues like constipation and increased frequency of urination.
How to Correct a Titled Pelvis?
Stretching exercises that target the hips, core, and back can help correct a tilted pelvis. Below are some leg and hip exercises to correct pelvic tilt and fix misalignment.
Hip Flexor Stretch
This half-kneeling stretch will make you feel slight tension in your hip flexors. Get started by laying on a yoga mat where you can comfortably kneel on your right knee and step your left leg in front of you. Lean forward until you feel the tension in your hips.
Leg Lunges
Lunges can strengthen your leg muscles, glutes, quads, and hamstrings. First, you have to step your right leg in front of you. Then, bend your right knee at a 90-degree angle and push off your other leg while touching the ground. However, if you have bad knees, skip this exercise instead.
Static Hamstring Stretch
A hamstring stretch can help correct your bad posture, especially if you’ve been sitting and standing all day. All you have to do is to sit on a hard chair and stretch your left leg forward, then switch to the other leg and repeat for 30 seconds.
Bridge
For this exercise, you’ll be strengthening your hamstrings and gluteus muscles. Bend your legs apart while lying on the ground. Lift your pelvis up from the floor and hold for two seconds.
Squats
Full-body exercises like squats target lower back muscles, hamstrings, core, and buttocks. As you squat, lower yourself to a sitting position while keeping your abs tight.
When to See a Chiropractor?
Despite how many stretching exercises you do at home, there will be times when you still can’t fix a pelvic tilt. If that happens, you should consult a qualified health professional immediately. Seek chiropractic care immediately after feeling pain and discomfort for several days and weeks.
Chiropractic adjustments for pelvic misalignment often involve the following methods:
- Medical evaluation
- Soft tissue therapy to ease muscle spasms
- Blocking techniques to relieve pressure on the joints
- Non-manipulative techniques for dysfunctional joints
- Diversified joint stretches
- Mobilization and rehabilitation exercises
Alleviate Pain on Your Pelvic Joints and Muscles
Pelvic misalignment can complicate your daily life, and if left untreated, it can affect your posture and overall appearance. But with regular exercise and an active lifestyle, you can keep your pelvic muscles healthy and strong.
Restore your normal mobility so you can bring back your confidence. Consult LifeClinic now and ease your pelvic pain. You may also visit our website to check out our services and locations.
