📖 6 mins read

I am in my early 40s and I have a pelvic tilt- except I didn’t know it for years. I have two kids, and after the birth of my second, I went to my doctor for help as I didn’t understand what was happening to me (the internet was still new…otherwise I would have simply googled it and learned what was going on- this article will help!). My doctor , who was female, was baffled about my pain and recommended me to see a chiropractor. Worst. thing ever happened to me.

Chiropractors are great, if you get the right ones. The one I had, didn’t listen to me. Although at the time I didn’t realize it, as I thought, he ‘cracked’ my back so my body would be even. I would be fine for 30 min and pain would return. What the chiropractor failed to tell me and others, as you get older, especially us women who give birth, muscles get weak. Especially the Pelvic Floor Muscles. The Chiropractor should have asked me when I gave birth, what exercises I am doing to strengthen and if I wasn’t doing them right or not doing them, the chiropractor should have said I needed to go to the gym and/or get a trainer- OR perhaps watch Richard Simmons Sweating to the Oldies II:

Instead, chiropractor would crack my back, making me even and this went off and on for YEARS. I would go back to him like an addict as I needed to feel better. Then I got to the point I couldn’t feel anything on my right side. I was limping like an awesome pirate and didn’t notice it. There was pain on my sciatica except I didn’t have anything wrong. Something was mimicking the sciatica pain.

I stopped going. I began healing myself. I did see a physical therapist to start from the basics, went until my insurance ran out (UGH). After that, I knew I had to take matters in my own hands. I got a cane, used it for walking. Relearned how to walk properly. Did squats once I began strengthen my pelvic floor muscles. I got to use the cane less and less. Now I use it for long hikes.

Dating has been hard as people judge, regardless of the experience I had. I am a fighter and this isn’t going to stop me. I want to run again (yeah, still can’t run but nearly there!). I got a foam roller and used that. I used my chair for lunges.

I used my countertop for holding onto to do squats and pushups. I stretched my calfs and did calf exercises daily and in bed? I did pelvic thrusts. I continued to this daily and if it hurt, I stopped. Still, there was something blocking / twisted in my back that was preventing from me walking straight. And as of now, I cannot run or jump properly HOWEVER today, as I did my exercises and stretches- something ‘flipped’ in my back and I am walking 100% normal now! It will go back to before as these are weak points. Meaning, the chiropractor messed up the adjustment and it could have been permeant!

This happens to so many people all because the chiropractor does NOT listen to the clients! Not all chiropractors are bad but the one I saw, wasn’t that good. (obviously). I continue my recovery and will continue to make progress and blog on here. I am Salty Vixen a survivor of many hats. This adds to my list and I will NOT give up. I have a dream of running a marathon someday!

So this is why pelvic exercises are IMPORTANT

The pelvic tilt is a classic therapeutic exercise used to strengthen abdominals, and stabilize posture by developing the core muscles of the body. The pelvic tilt is a move that can be found in yoga, pilates, physical therapy and other exercise systems. While there are variations on the pelvic tilt, the move is the same..

The Pelvic Tilt in Rehabilitation:

The pelvic tilt is often used in early stages of rehab, when it is appropriate that the patient begin exercising. This is because it is a gentle way to:

wake up the nerves in the core posture muscles that live in the pelvis
begin to strengthen those muscles, which in turn stabilizes the low back
stretch tight muscles around the hip, for example, the hamstrings, psoas and/or quadriceps.

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How the Pelvic Tilt Works to Stabilize Back Posture:

The movement of the pelvic tilt travels back and forth from lordosis (Lordosis is a term that describes the forward direction of a spinal curve (when viewing from the side).) to a flat back. By performing pelvic tilts, the pelvis and low back vertebrae can experience the full range of movement in the forward and back direction. The muscle strength developed from doing pelvic tilts allows you to reach the end range of these low back postures. This, in turn, develops the ability to maintain ideal low back posture, a position somewhere in-between.

Types of Back Problems Benefited by Pelvic Tilts:

The pelvic tilt is a good exercise for nearly every kind of low back problem. It is a staple therapeutic exercise. In particular, pelvic tilts can be used for postural problems, low back pain due to pregnancy, and to strengthen the diastasis rectus post-partum.

Muscle Usage for Best Results:

Some versions of the pelvic tilt emphasize using buttock muscles to “get you there”. By performing the pelvic tilt this way, the movement is less subtle than if you were to let go of gripping and use the abdominals instead. Focusing on abdominal work to provide the movement of the pelvis will go a long way toward low back stabilization by:

strengthening the deep muscles of posture
encouraging a balance of strength throughout the muscles of the pelvis.

Bibliography (amazon.com):

1 Kisner, Carolyn and Colby, Lynn Allen. Therapeutic Exercise Foundations and Techniques. 4th ed. 2002. F.A. Davis Company. Philadelphia, Pa.

2. Kendall, Florence Peterson, McCreary, Elizabeth Kendall and Provance, Patricia Geise. Muscles Testing and Function 4th ed. 1993. Williams & Wilkins, A Waverly Company. Baltimore, Maryland.