Your "perky butt" may be due to anterior pelvic tilt

Author: Hu Bingjie Zhou Yi Xi'an Medical College

Reviewer: Xiao Xinli, Associate Professor of Xi'an Jiaotong University

In the hot summer, it is the season to wear short skirts and shorts to show off your figure. Many people are proud of having a sexy "buttocks". However, some people with an "S"-shaped figure may seem to have a "buttocks", but in fact it may be due to anterior pelvic tilt.

What is anterior pelvic tilt?

Pelvic tilt is a pathological phenomenon in which the pelvis tilts forward to a certain angle. Its most obvious manifestation is the increase in the physiological curvature of the lumbar spine, the posterior kyphosis of the buttocks, the anterior convexity of the lower abdomen, and the forward tilt of the center of gravity of the whole person. When the pelvis tilts forward, the front and back muscles of the lumbar spine are unbalanced (the front abdominal muscles are weak, and the back erector spinae muscles are tight), and the front and back muscles of the hip joint are unbalanced (the front iliopsoas muscles are tight, and the back gluteal muscles are weak).

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The normal pelvic position tilts forward at a certain angle. The pelvic anterior tilt angle is the angle between the line between the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) and the horizontal line of the ground. The normal range is 7° to 15°. When it exceeds this range, it is considered to be excessive pelvic anterior tilt, which is commonly known as "pelvic anterior tilt".

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What are the dangers of anterior pelvic tilt?

1. Impact on body shape : Anterior pelvic tilt can cause convexity of the lower abdomen and convexity of the buttocks. In the long term, it can also lead to lateral development and sagging of the buttocks, round shoulders, hunchback, external rotation of the hips, "false hip width", "outward-facing toes", distorted leg shape, hyperextension of the knee joints, convexity of the calves, etc., causing imbalance in human proportions and distorted body shape, which seriously affects personal image.

2. Chronic fatigue : Pelvic tilt increases the weight on the waist, causes muscle strength imbalance, and reduces body coordination and flexibility, making fatigue and muscle soreness more likely to occur and are difficult to relieve.

3. Constipation and dysmenorrhea : The pelvis plays an important role in protecting and supporting the internal organs. Pelvic deformation will affect the functions of the internal organs and reproductive organs in the pelvic cavity, and it is easy to cause symptoms such as weakened intestinal motility, constipation, dysmenorrhea, and menstrual discomfort.

4. Back pain : The forward tilt of the pelvis causes excessive lumbar curvature, which increases the pressure between the lumbar intervertebral discs. The back and waist muscles are in a tense state for a long time, which can easily lead to low back pain and soreness in the shoulders and neck.

5. Severe pelvic tilt may also cause problems such as spondylolisthesis, lumbar disc herniation, and lumbar spinal stenosis.

6. Scoliosis : Long-term forward tilt of the pelvis increases the curvature of the spine, increases pressure on the lumbar spine, and pulls the muscles into deformation, which can lead to scoliosis over time.

How to self-diagnose anterior pelvic tilt?

1. Main manifestations: A preliminary judgment can be made based on one’s usual behavioral habits and symptoms.

(1) Body shape changes: manifested as a protruding belly, sticking out buttocks, excessive lumbar lordosis, sagging or deformed buttocks, etc. The body will habitually lean forward when standing.

(2) Difficulty in lying flat: It is difficult to lie flat when sleeping, and the patient needs to bend his legs or lie on his side to relieve the discomfort. The patient prefers to lie on his side.

(3) Knee hyperextension: When the pelvis tilts forward, the hip joint flexes and contracts. When standing upright, the body's center of gravity moves forward, the front and back muscles are unbalanced, and the hip strength is insufficient. In order to maintain balance, the knee hyperextension occurs as a compensation, that is, the knee is over-extended, beyond the neutral position, and the calf is obviously convex.

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2. Self-examination method : Stand against the wall, with your head, shoulders, hips and heels close to the wall. If the space between your waist and the wall can accommodate a palm, it is basically a normal posture; if the space between your waist and the wall is larger than the thickness of a palm and can accommodate a fist, it means that the lumbar curvature is too large, which may be a pelvic anterior tilt.

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3. Measure the anterior tilt angle of the pelvis : The above method is only a simple test. If you want to measure it accurately, it is recommended to go to the hospital for treatment and take a standing anteroposterior and lateral X-ray of the pelvis. The doctor can measure the anterior tilt angle of the pelvis to make a judgment.

How to improve pelvic anterior tilt?

1. Change bad posture . Avoid sitting for long periods of time in daily life, and avoid bending over, lowering your head, looking at your phone for long periods of time, etc. Try to keep your back in a vertical position and hold your head high. When walking, gently squeeze your hips, lower your shoulders, and slightly retract your chin; when sitting to work, place your desk and screen correctly, sit your hips firmly on the chair, and support your waist; when driving, relax your back and fit it against the seat back.

2. It is recommended to lie flat when sleeping , and a cushion can be placed under the knee joint to effectively adjust the degree of pelvic tilt. Try to avoid lying on your side for a long time to reduce the aggravation of pelvic tilt caused by unbalanced force on the hip joint and sacroiliac joint.

3. Wear negative heel shoes to correct pelvic tilt . The principle is that the height of the front and back of the shoes can adjust the body's center of gravity and move it backward. Or prepare a book about 20mm thick, step on the book with the forefoot barefoot, and put the heel on the ground, keeping the front high and the back low posture, hold for 30 seconds in a set, do 3 to 5 sets, and persist for a period of time, which can improve the pelvic tilt.

4. Muscle function training . The basic method is to relax the tense muscles, such as the iliopsoas muscles in the front of the hip and the waist muscles, and strengthen the loose and weak abdominal and buttocks muscles.

(1) Iliopsoas stretch: Keep your back straight, lunge forward with one leg and stretch the other leg backward, with your knees on the ground and your center of gravity forward, fully feeling the stretch in your thigh.

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(2) Stretch your back muscles: Keep your abdomen contracted, sit on your heels, lean forward on the ground, extend your arms forward, fully contract your abdomen and arch your entire back.

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(3) Exercise your abdominal muscles: Do sit-ups. Lie flat on the ground with your legs bent. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your upper body about 45 degrees. Be careful not to use force on your neck and do not arch your back excessively.

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(4) Glute and posterior thigh exercises: Do the hip bridge exercise, bend your knees and support your feet on the ground, and use the strength of your hips and posterior thighs to lift your shoulders, hips, and knees into a straight line. Exhale while exerting force.

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(5) Standing rectus femoris stretch (i.e. the muscles on the front of the thigh): Stand on one leg, bend the other leg backward, and grab the ankle with the same hand. Pull the heel toward the buttocks and feel a stretch in the front of the thigh.

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