Pelvic Tilt
Definition[edit | edit source]
Pelvic tilt (PT) is a position-dependent parameter defined as the angle created by a line running from the sacral end plate midpoint to the center of the bifemoral heads and the vertical axis[1]. The average ranges of anterior and posterior pelvic tilting are 13.0 ± 4.9°, and 8.9 ± 4.5°, respectively.[2]
Importance of Pelvic Tilt[edit | edit source]
Pelvic tilting exercises in the sagittal plane are generally used to correct the alignment of the lumbar spine of patients with chronic lower back pain (LBP). A posture that reinforces lumbar lordosis was identified as one of the main causes of LBP. When treating LBP, it is important to reduce the use of the posture causing lumbar lordosis. Anterior pelvic tilting strengthens lumbar lordosis whereas posterior pelvic tilting has the opposite effect. Posterior pelvic tilting exercises are often utilized as a rehabilitation.[2]
Research suggest that the local muscles may be related to anterior and posterior pelvic tilting and these local muscles control motion in the pelvic sagittal plane. Training of the local muscles may be effective for improvement of lumbar alignment in the sagittal plane of patients with LBP. It might be effective to train the transversus abdominis in the patient with excessive lumbar lordosis, and the multifidus in decreased lumbar lordosis[2].
People with chronic low back pain exhibit reduced proprioception in pelvic region and are less ‘movement-aware’ with potentially reduced postural control. This raises a question of whether postures or activities performed using extremes of certain movement (e.g. excessive or restricted movement) may predispose people to LBP.[3]
Pelvic Tilt exercises[edit | edit source]
The patient lies on his back with his feet flat on the ground and 60 degrees flexion in the knees. Now the patient has to press his lower back against the ground while exhaling by tilting the waist/pelvis backwards. On inhalation, the patient then relaxes the lower back from the ground by tilting the waist forward. Try only to move the lumbar spine.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Science Direct Pelvic Tilt Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/pelvic-tilt (last accessed 13.12.2019)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Takaki S, Kaneoka K, Okubo Y, Otsuka S, Tatsumura M, SHIINA I, Miyakawa S. Analysis of muscle activity during active pelvic tilting in sagittal plane. Physical therapy research. 2016 Dec 20;19(1):50-7. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5342962/ (last accessed 13.12.2019)
- ↑ Laird RA, Gilbert J, Kent P, Keating JL. Comparing lumbo-pelvic kinematics in people with and without back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC musculoskeletal disorders. 2014 Dec;15(1):229. Available from: https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2474-15-229 (last accessed 13.12.2019)
