The Benefits Of Doing Yoga For Anterior Pelvic Tilt
The anterior pelvic tilt is one of the most common postural deviations, affecting around 80% if you are looking for a way to reduce your symptoms, look no further than yoga!
Many people don’t realize it, but the improper pelvic tilt is a vast source of back pain. By correctly maintaining a healthy anterior pelvic tilt, you can dramatically reduce your chances of developing back problems.
Even if you already have back problems, maintaining a beneficial anterior pelvic tilt can help keep your back condition from getting worse.
This article will cover the basics of what you need to know about the anterior pelvic tilt and give tips on specific yoga poses.
What is Anterior Pelvic Tilt?
An anterior pelvic tilt is an excessive curvature in the lower back, leading to decreased stability and back pain.
The curvature occurs because of the posterior displacement of the ilium (the most comprehensive, uppermost part of the pelvis).
Anterior pelvic tilt can lead to chronic back pain, sacroiliitis (inflammation in the sacroiliac joint), osteoporosis, and other conditions. Collapsed discs, spinal stenosis, and other states are also linked to this curvature.
To prevent further deterioration, you need to learn how to correct the anterior pelvic tilt properly.
Anterior Pelvic Tilt Causes
There are multiple causes for developing an anterior pelvic tilt. Many of them are lifestyle-related. The most common reasons are:
Poor Posture
The leading cause is that the person has poor posture. The posterior pelvic tilt can be caused by many things, including hunching over a desk too long, watching television for hours at a time, etc.
Can also be caused by an injury to the low back or chronic pain in the low back, which causes you to walk differently.
Stiff Hip Flexors or Weak Glutes
The pelvis is put into an anterior tilt when the hip flexors are too tight, or the glutes are weak. A tight or weak glute can be caused by over-exercising, poor diet, sitting in the same position for too long, etc.
Over-Exercising
Tight muscles in the abdomen is another common cause of anterior pelvic tilt. Over-exercising can cause many things, including spinal compression in the lower back.
Poor Diet
A poor diet can lead to a problem with digestion which could affect the muscles in the abdomen and hips. Constipation can cause a lot of pressure on your lower back because it squeezes your lower back.
The more constipated you are, the more pressure on your lower back is there. Constipation can also cause intestinal gas, aggravating pelvic tilt because it tends to pull your pelvis towards your abdomen.
Anterior Pelvic Tilt Symptoms
The symptoms of anterior pelvic tilt can be several different things. Here is a list of common symptoms:
Stiff or Painful Back
With an anterior pelvic tilt, the lower back becomes arched and stiff. In addition, the lower back muscles become tight and painful.
The pain is because the vertebral discs (the soft tissues that cushion each vertebra in your spine) can be compressed when there is too much curvature in the lower back.
Shoulder Pain, Upper Back Pain, Hip Pain
Since the vertebral discs are pinched into the low back due to the excessive curve in the lower back, this can cause pain in your shoulders, upper back, or hip. In addition, the pinching of your spinal discs causes pain.
Spinal Compression
Spinal compression occurs when your spine is arched too much. It can be uncomfortable and painful. It is due to the pinched shape of your vertebrae that causes it to rub against the nerves and ligaments.
Spinal Stiffness
Spinal stiffness occurs when there is too much arch in the spine. It causes pain and discomfort. When there is spinal stiffness, it can be due to over-exercising, stress, poor diet, etc.
Anterior Knee Pain
A common cause of anterior knee pain is if your pelvis is tilted too far forward. Also, tight hip flexors can cause anterior knee pain because they pull your leg forward on the affected side.
Yoga For Anterior Pelvic Tilt
Several yoga poses can help restore anterior pelvic tilt and correct some of the other problems that result from this curvature. Here are some of the most popular poses that are good for anterior pelvic tilt:
Butterfly Pose
The butterfly pose is perfect for improving the health of your hips. The butterfly pose stretches out your hip flexors, which are often tight in people who have anterior pelvic tilt. This pose is also one of the most powerful hip opening yoga poses for pregnancy.
Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga can also be very effective at improving your pelvic tilt. It is a specific type of yoga performed in a room heated up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius).
The heat increases blood flow and sweating, which both help with conditions such as anterior pelvic tilt.
Going Upside Down
Going upside down is a great way to stretch the hip flexors. If you do not know how to go upside down properly, many yoga videos for beginners on YouTube explain how to do it properly.
Child’s Pose
A child’s pose can be very beneficial for improving your posterior pelvic tilt. It is a resting pose where you go down to the floor and lay on your stomach. The pose stretches out your hip flexors, often too tight in people with anterior pelvic tilt.
Conclusion
Yoga is more than just a stretch or exercise that promotes the complete health of the body. For example, yoga asanas such as butterfly and child’s pose help improve your pelvis and back alignment.
The person experiencing anterior pelvic tilt can feel the benefits of the poses right away because they will feel more stable in their core, back, and lower back.
With any pelvic tilt, it can be challenging to fix in one session. It takes consistency and dedication to the poses to experience the full benefits of yoga.
When you practice yoga for anterior pelvic tilt, it helps to prevent further progression. It also enables you to maintain improved positioning long-term.
