A healthy hip is very important for efficient movement. Most of the power a child displays, is generated at the hip. Walking, running, or jumping: without a strong hip you won’t excel at these activities. If we look at posture the hip is just as important. Many times wrong posture can be traced back to adaptations at the hip. It is therefore only logical to start looking for postural problems at the hip. Many other postural issues will improve automatically, as soon as you “fix” the hip.

CAUSES OF ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT

Anterior pelvic tilt is generally thought to be the result of a muscular imbalance. The glute and abdominal muscles function to rotate the pelvis backward. Weakness or poor control of these muscle groups can cause the pelvis to drop in the front.

Tightness or limited flexibility in the hip flexor muscles that cross the front of the pelvis and tight lower back muscles may also contribute to the pelvis being held in an anteriorly tilted position.

This muscle imbalance may occur because many of us spend a lot of time in flexed position, and the body can become adapted to positions that we spend a lot of time in. Sitting is a prime example. With the child is sitting, the hip flexors are held in a shortened position and the glutes are less active than with standing or walking.

How the hip adapts to prolonged sitting at school or in wheelchair

If a child sits a lot, hip flexors “shorten”. If a child has short hip flexors and stand up, your hip flexors will pull on the femur on one end and the hip, as well as the lumbar spine (lower back). This will cause the hip to tilt forward and the lumbar curvature to increase (excessive lordosis).

Thus, anterior pelvic tilt potentially leads to lower back pain, hip pain (because of the rotated femurs), knee pain (because of the knock-knee position) and flat feet.

CORRECTING ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT

Anterior pelvic tilt can be corrected with proper stretching, strengthening and prolong standing. Whatever your issues, if your kiddo needs therapy, we work hard to find a balance between physical therapy and fun to really challenge them, to make change, and to find what motivates them! Give us a call at Little Champs (website link) at (305) 923-2777 or drop us an email at info@littlechampstherapy.com.