What is a Tilted Pelvis?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnterior Pelvic TiltPosterior Pelvic TiltPelvic ObliquityCause of Pain

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

Posterior Pelvic Tilt

Pelvic Obliquity

Cause of Pain

A tilted pelvis means the pelvis is tipped forward, backward, or off-center. This causes imbalance and misalignment of the spine, leading tolow back pain.Depending on the direction of the pelvic tilt, it can cause pain in the knees, legs, hips, buttocks, shoulders, and neck.

There are three types of tilted pelvis: anterior pelvic tilt, posterior pelvic tilt, and pelvicobliquity. Each has different symptoms and treatments.

1:33Click Play to Learn How to Handle a Tilted Pelvis

1:33

Click Play to Learn How to Handle a Tilted Pelvis

Prolonged sitting together with physical inactivity can also lead to an anterior tilt.

Symptoms

With an anterior pelvic tilt, the front of the pelvis drops in relationship to the back of the pelvis, causing symptoms like:

Treatment and Correction

Can a chiropractor treat a tilted pelvis?

Your sleeping posture can also contribute if it restricts the natural curve of the lumbar spine. Research shows that pelvic angles differ drastically in a supine position (lying on your back) contributing to the degree of the tilt.

With a posterior pelvic tilt, the front of the pelvis rises while the back of the pelvis drops, leading to symptoms like:

As with an anterior pelvic tilt, a posterior pelvic tilt will improve with simple changes in posture. Among them:

There are several exercises that can also help correct a posterior pelvic tilt, such as:

Pelvic obliquity is more complicated than an anterior or posterior pelvis tilt. It occurs when one hip is higher than the other and/or one hip is rotated in the opposite direction to the other.

With pelvic obliquity, one or both of the following will occur:

Pelvic obliquity is also called side-to-side pelvic imbalance.

This may be related toscoliosis, an orthopedic disorder in which the spine curves abnormally to the side.

Pelvic obliquity causes symptoms due to the compression and misalignment of the spine as it compensates for the imbalance in the hips.

This can lead to symptoms like:

If there are differences in leg lengths due to degenerative or congenital conditions,shoe orthotics(inserts) or corrective orthopedic shoes can correct the imbalance and help relieve pain.

Physical therapy exercises can also strengthen the weaker hip. This usually involves core strengthening exercises that work the hips selectively. Examples include:

How a Pelvic Tilt Leads to Pain

Your pelvis is considered well-aligned or “neutral” when it’s tilted neither too far forward nor too far back. Problems can arise, however, if your pelvis falls consistently out of this neutral position while you’re standing or sitting.

A tilted pelvis disrupts what is known as thekinetic chain—how the joints, muscles, and body segments work together to enable movement. When the abnormal pelvic tilt disrupts the kinetic chain, other body segments are thrown off, leading to instability, mobility problems, and, most commonly, low back pain.

Summary

Forward (anterior) tilts benefit from exercises like squats and hip extensions that balance the hip flexor and extensor muscles. Backward (posterior) tilts benefit from exercises like bridges and back extensions that help restore the normal curvature of the spine.

13 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Król A, Polak M, Szczygieł E, Wójcik P, Gleb K.Relationship between mechanical factors and pelvic tilt in adults with and without low back pain.J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2017;30(4):699-705. doi:10.3233/BMR-140177

Suits WH.Clinical Measures of Pelvic Tilt in Physical Therapy.Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2021 Oct;16(5):1366-1375. doi:10.26603/001c.27978

Gebhart JJ, Weinberg DS, Bohl MS, Liu RW.Relationship between pelvic incidence and osteoarthritis of the hip.Bone Joint Res. 2016;5(2):66-72. doi:10.1302/2046-3758.52.2000552

Bhutto MA, Shadmaher A, Hadian MR, Talebian S, Asad SA.Influence of overweight and obesity on pelvic tilt, q-angle and foot posture in both genders.PJMHS. 2021;15(7):1813-1817. doi:10.53350/pjmhs211571813

Falk Brekke A, Overgaard S, Hróbjartsson A, Holsgaard-Larsen A.Non-surgical interventions for excessive anterior pelvic tilt in symptomatic and non-symptomatic adults: a systematic review.EFORT Open Rev. 2020;5(1):37-45. doi:10.1302/2058-5241.5.190017

Son SM.Influence of obesity on postural stability in young adults.Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2016;7(6):378-381. doi:10.1016/j.phrp.2016.10.001

Moodley M, Craig M.The effect of sacroiliac chiropractic adjustments on innominate angles.Health SA. 2020 Nov;25:1398. doi:10.4102/hsag.v25i0.1398

Marques C, Martin T, Fiedler F, Weber M, Lampe F, Breul V, Kozak J.The Effects of Body Position on Pelvic Tilt Angles Measured with a Smartphone-Based Navigated Ultrasound System in Symptom-Free Young Adults.Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2018; 3(1):18. doi:10.3390/jfmk3010018

Murta BAJ, Santos TRT, Araujo PA, Resende RA, Ocarino JM.Influence of reducing anterior pelvic tilt on shoulder posture and the electromyographic activity of scapular upward rotators.Braz J Phys Ther. 2020;24(2):135-143. doi:10.1016/j.bjpt.2019.02.002

Sultan AA, Khlopas A, Udo-Inyang I, et al.Hip Osteoarthritis Patients Demonstrated Marked Dynamic Changes and Variability in Pelvic Tilt, Obliquity, and Rotation: A Comparative, Gait-Analysis Study.Surg Technol Int. 2018;32:285-292.

Amirouche F, Dolan M, Pradhan S, Mikhael M, Monsef JB.Assessment of cervical and lumbar kinematics in simulated open and closed kinetic chain.Int J Spine Surg. 2022. doi:2022:8382

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?