An unlevel pelvis occurs when one hip bone (pelvic bone) is higher than the other. This is best determined by postural evaluation when the person is in an upright normal standing position, as well as by an anterior-posterior X-ray of the hips. Here at Oahu Spine & Rehab in Kailua, this posture evaluation will be performed by our chiropractors and re-tested by our physical therapists.
Determining the cause of the unleveling is important. The two most common causes are anatomic asymmetry and functional imbalance. Sometimes growth will not be symmetrical, such as one leg developing more length than the other. But the most common cause is dysfunction (or misalignment) of the pelvic structures. Most often this involves misalignment of the sacroilliac joints. Weakened or injured muscles that attach to the pelvis can also contribute to this condition, as well as knee rotation and foot pronation.
This unleveling, if uncorrected, can cause sacroilliac pain, chronic low back pain, muscle pain, hip pain, disc herniation, and disc degeneration. Before any of these more serious symptoms and conditions occur, it’s important to be evaluated by our staff. We see patients every day that suffer from chronic low back pain that aren’t aware of their unlevel pelvis as the root of the problem.
Our treatment here at OSR for anatomic asymmetry consists primarily of orthotics and/or heel lifts. Treatment for the more common functional imbalance involves chiropractic manipulation to realign the joints and regain proper biomechanics. It is also necessary to stretch shortened muscles and exercise to strengthen and stabilize weakened and/or injured muscles. These particular exercises will be taught and lead by our physical therapy team in Oahu. At our integrated health center we will focus on relieving your pain (if you’re having any) and then strengthening your muscles to get you back to full health.
