Working from home means many people experience a lot of pain and pain. Things like neck, shoulder and back pain are common complaints and are often associated with body posture.
Many people believe that posture is about the back and spine, but proper pelvic positioning plays an equally important role.
To take on the ideal posture, a person needs to be able to find their “neutral” spine. This is the midpoint between the two extreme pelvic positions.
One is the tilt of the pelvis forward, where a person swings the pelvis forward and makes the waist arch.
The other is the tilt of the pelvis in the back, where a person moves the pelvis in the opposite direction, pushing the pelvis downwards, flattening the back. This can cause people to be in a poor position.
If a person moves between the pelvic tilt in the front and back, the middle right side is a neutral position and the person should ideally hang out.
However, many people have pelvises that are at a slight anterior or posterior pelvic tilt. This can be due to a variety of reasons, one of which is muscle tension.
While many muscles are attached to the pelvis, key players that can lead to pelvic tilt are the hamstrings and hip flexors. Hamstrings are located behind the thighs and are primarily involved in knee flexion and hip extension. There are several hip flexors. I highlight three of them: PSOA, iliac and rectus femoris. The Psoas moves from the spine through the abdomen and attaches to the femur. The iliac travels from the pelvis, which joins the PSOA to attach to the femur. Finally, the rectus femoris is one of the quadriceps muscles, which moves from the front of the pelvis to the patellar tendon.
If someone has a forward tilted pelvis, it is often due to restricted hip flexors. This is generally due to the fact that a person’s hips remain in a flexed position, which means they are sitting for a long time.
Clinicians can do a Thomas test to assess whether someone has a hip flexor. During this test, the patient will sit and lie down at the edge of the examination table. Clinicians will observe if the person arches their back, as this may be a sign that there is a feeling of pressure on the hip flexors. The person on the table brings one knee to his chest, and the clinician observes whether the person’s stationary leg has moved. If that leg rises from the table, it is a sign that the hip flexors are tight.
It’s important to see healthcare professionals decide on the right treatment plan, but if you suspect someone has a forward-leaning pelvis, there are some exercises that a person can practice.
However, before you start, talk to your healthcare provider before you do any exercises!
Post-pelvic tilt
While lying down on your back with your knees bent, gently push your pelvis in and try to flatten your back. Continue breathing and slowly return to the starting position before repeating. They can do some iterations and see how it feels. They can sit and practice this same movement.
The hip flexors stretch
One way to do this is to lie on your stomach and gently press against your forearm and hold for 30 seconds. Another option is to kneel and shift forward. For larger stretches, you can hold your arms up into the air for 30-60 seconds.
bridge
While lying on your back with your knees bent, perform the posterior pelvic tilt as above, squeeze the butt muscles, slowly lift the pelvis out of the floor, then slowly return the pelvis to the floor. Start slowly with 5 repetitions and see how it feels.
