Introduction
Anterior pelvic tilt is a postural imbalance that presents in an individual’s standing, walking, and running postures. When trying to address posture, many people will come across the concept of an anterior pelvic tilt, leading them to have questions such as, ‘Is anterior pelvic tilt bad?, ‘Do I have an anterior pelvic tilt?,’ ‘How do I fix anterior pelvic tilt?,’ or, ‘Is it possible to use corrective exercises for anterior pelvic tilt?’
There are numerous reasons that can lead to an individual having an anterior pelvic tilt in their posture, however the main mechanical cause is due to an imbalance of tension between the muscles that attach to the front of the pelvis and those that attach to the back.
For some people, an anterior pelvic tilt can be a source of pain in both the lower back and hips. In fact, it has been found that those with lower back pain are more likely to present with a greater anterior pelvic tilt than those who do not have lower back pain (1). If you’d like to learn more about the relationship between anterior pelvic tilt and pain you can read about it in this article here. (hyperlink)
Often you will hear health professionals such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths etc talk about anterior pelvic tilt and how to fix it. Unfortunately, the approach that is presented by these professions often does not account for all the variables that may be contributing to the problem. This can often lead to a short-term relief of pain and tightness caused by the anterior pelvic tilt, but not a long-term correction of the pelvic tilt itself.
The process of improving posture is always slightly different for everyone, as everybody has nuanced behaviours and positions that are ‘normal’ for an individual. Fixing an anterior pelvic is no different and is possible through the correct process of rebalancing the tension of the muscles that attach to the pelvis, as well as addressing the tension of the whole body-system. This can take time depending on the severity of the problem causing the tilt in the first place. Functional Patterns consistently showcases results in addressing this issue with an approach that creates the postural balance which corrects an anterior pelvic tilt for good.
In this article we will describe a summary of this process so that you may begin to learn how to get started as it relates to correcting an anterior pelvic tilt.
Step 1: Identifying the imbalance in the body.
When it comes to the pelvis, imbalances in the muscles of the hip flexors, quads, abdominals, glutes and hamstrings and the lower back all contribute to anterior pelvic tilt symptoms. Generally, the rectus femoris, illiacus and psoas muscles, as well as the lower back muscles are stuck in a ‘short’ position causing the back of the pelvis to pull up and forward and the front of the pelvis pull down and back. The muscles of the abdominals, glutes and hamstrings are generally weak and ‘stuck’ in a lengthened position. When this is the case, posture begins to look similar to the picture on the right.
Step 2: Addressing short and tight regions.
It is always best to start by lengthening and releasing the tissues and muscles that are stuck in a short and tight position. This achieves two tasks; reducing tension that may be contributing to pain and stiffness in the low back and pelvic region, and giving the long, weak muscles a fighting chance do the job of rotating the pelvis back toward a more neutral position as they strengthen.
At this stage people will often gravitate toward using stretching to fix an anterior pelvic tilt, in an attempt to lengthen the tight muscles, however we do not suggest you use this method. Unfortunately, putting a muscle under a passive stretch can overly lengthen the tissue without giving the body the chance to understand how to control that new length. This can lead to creating further imbalance around the pelvis
To take a deeper dive into why stretching is not a good technique to use for improving posture and biomechanics, check out these resources.
The Dysfunctions of Stretching
Stretching for Back Pain: Solution or a Slippery Slope?
Why Stretching Doesn’t Work (Video)
Instead, we suggest you use a method called self-myofascial release to improve the malleability and length of the tight muscles. This involves using tools such as a lacrosse ball, foam roller, medicine ball or thera-cane to apply pressure to tight regions in a form of sustained self-massage.
Here are some images to get you started with releasing a couple of key muscles that contribute to an anterior pelvic tilt.
Step 3: Strengthening and ‘re-tensioning’ weak and long regions
Correcting a pelvis that tends to sit in an anteriorly tilted position requires strengthening of the muscles that can rotate the pelvis posteriorly into a more neutral position. It is crucial to strengthen the muscles that are weak or lengthened. Some key muscles to focus on include the glutes, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles.
It is important to note at this stage that it is not enough to simply strengthen the weaker muscles in any arbitrary way. Rather, these muscles need to be trained in a manner that simultaneously improves their strength whilst also teaching the body the correct motor patterns which correct for the dysfunctional level of anterior tilt in the pelvis.
At FP we utilise very specific strategies to achieve this. The fundamental difference in our process compared to other approaches is that we use techniques which respect the four main movements of the human body. Those being standing, walking, running and throwing. Training in relation to these fundamental movement patterns and with respect to the effect gravity has on the body, sees FP standout as a system that gets long term results correcting anterior pelvic where others have failed.
Some strategies we use which strengthen the weaker muscles associated with an anterior pelvic tilt include the FP Plank, the Wall Retraction and Standing Neutral. These exercises effectively re-train the body to correctly balance the tension around the pelvis, enabling the body to maintain a neutral pelvic posture.
Step 4: Controlling the pelvis through motion.
Tthe final step to correcting pelvic tilt is to begin to train your body through movement whilst maintaining appropriate pelvic posture, and de-train the tendency for the pelvis to remain oriented toward an anterior tilt. This will help to correct for the body holding too much anterior pelvic tilt whilst walking, standing, running and throwing.
The position of our pelvis is contextual to the movements we are doing at a given time. Although maintaining a neutral pelvis when in standing posture is a good thing, sometimes an anterior tilt, and even a posterior tilt is appropriate and required for some movements. The pelvis requires the ability to reposition to facilitate the movements that we do daily. It is only problematic when the pelvis is unable to reposition, or repositions inappropriately, causing undue load and pressure on other areas of the body such as the low back, thoracic spine and hips.
The benefit of this step is that it will not only improve how well you are able to control the pelvic position through movement but will also improve your pelvic posture when standing still. Ultimately, improvement in pelvic posture through movement will assist in improving your pelvic posture in all contexts, as well as the overall posture of your spine. Improving your overall posture will allow you to experience more effortless movement and minimise the possibility of experiencing physical pain.
The flow on benefits of correcting your anterior pelvic tilt.
Look at the two skeletons on the right. You may be able to see that the upper spine of the skeleton labelled ‘anterior tilt’ has a more hunched back. Whereas the skeleton label neutral pelvis has a much for straight and extended spine. This issue predominantly arises from the position of the pelvis.
The human body is constantly being bombarded with the force of gravity pushing down on it. This force requires that for every shift that occurs in our posture, there is an equal but opposite compensatory shift that has to happen. This is an adaptation that our bodies must make in order stay balanced and minimise the possibility of us toppling over.
Take a closer look at the skeleton labelled, anterior tilt. You will see that compared to the neutral pelvis skeleton the lower back also has a large curve in it. Subsequently, the upper spine also has a larger curve, called a thoracic kypkosis. By observing the chain of shifts that can occur because
of the pelvis being overly tilted forward, we can see that an anterior pelvic tilt can have effects on more than just the lower back and the pelvis itself.
The important aspect to note in relation to the inter-relationship of different body segments is that it is not sufficient to simply address the position of the pelvis in isolation. Rather, we need to assess and address all areas of the body to fully resolve a dysfunctional anterior pelvic tilt for good.
The good news is that the strategies which are effective for correcting anterior pelvic tilt also improve other postural imbalances such as thoracic kyphosis due to the above-mentioned flow on effects.
Throughout this article you will have seen some screenshots of these strategies that Functional Patterns employs to resolve postural and biomechanical imbalance in the body. These screenshots are taken from the Functional Patterns 10 Week Online Program. If you are looking to begin addressing your anterior pelvic tilt or your posture and mechanics overall, then this is a great starting point.
Summary
Correcting an anterior pelvic tilt requires following a methodical process to address the variables which fundamentally cause the postural imbalance. Addressing the imbalance in the pelvis can have many positive effects to the postural positioning of the entire body but it is not as simple as just doing strength exercises to fix anterior pelvic tilt.
In summary, yes, it is possible and necessary to correct an anterior pelvic tilt that is present in standing posture, especially in the presence of pain. With an intentional process for identifying where the imbalance exists, reducing tightness in short muscles and tissues, and strengthening the weak muscles in a manner that rotates and pulls the pelvis into a more neutral position, you too can address your anterior pelvic tilt using Functional Patterns protocols.
As a bonus, when the pelvis is maintained in a neutral position, the body will function with more balance in all regions, leading to more effortless, efficient and pain free movement. Consistency and patience are key, as it may take time to see significant improvements.
When it comes to figuring out how to fix anterior pelvic tilt, Functional Patterns has the single best approach, with unparalleled results. Utilising Functional Patterns and embracing the journey whilst training intentionally rather than habitually, will lead you towards a healthier, pain-free posture and have you enjoying the benefits of a balanced body.
References
1. Lim, H. S., Roh, S. Y., & Lee, S. M. (2013). The relationship between pelvic tilt angle and disability associated with low back pain. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 25(1), 65-68.
