{"id":8636,"date":"2025-09-19T03:00:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T03:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scolicare.com\/denver-colorado\/pelvic-obliquity-causes-effects-treatment-strategies\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T03:00:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T03:00:12","slug":"pelvic-obliquity-causes-effects-treatment-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scolicare.com\/denver-colorado\/pelvic-obliquity-causes-effects-treatment-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"
Pelvic Obliquity: Causes, Effects & Treatment Strategies<\/div>"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A body\u2019s balance and stability is based on many factors, including its symmetry and alignment. Given the importance of the pelvis in facilitating healthy movement patterns and supporting upper body weight, a disruption in its position can have a number of effects.<\/p>\n

Pelvic obliquity causes the pelvis to become unnaturally tilted, causing one hip to sit higher than the other. Pelvic obliquity can disrupt posture, movement, and cause pain. Common causes include uneven bones in the pelvis, leg length discrepancy, and hip contractures.<\/b><\/p>\n

For a better understanding of how pelvic obliquity can affect the body, let\u2019s explore the important roles of the pelvis.<\/p>\n

What Does the Pelvis Do?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The pelvis is a bony structure consisting of the sacrum (triangular bone at the base of the spine), the coccyx (tailbone), and two hip bones.<\/p>\n

There is a pelvic cavity containing various organs, and the pelvic floor muscles support the pelvic organs and facilitate continence and sexual function.<\/p>\n

The pelvic joints allow for some flexibility and movement, while maintaining stability.<\/p>\n

The pelvis has to support the weight of the upper body, facilitate movement, protect organs within its cavity (bladder, parts of the digestive system, reproductive organs), connect the upper and lower body, transfer the weight of the torso to the legs, and act as an attachment point for a number of muscles involved in movement.<\/p>\n

So as you can see, the pelvis is a key structure with a number of functions.<\/p>\n

So what can cause the pelvis to become unnaturally tilted?<\/p>\n

Pelvic Obliquity Causes<\/b><\/h3>\n

Pelvic obliquity<\/a> can have a number of causes from the presence of an unnatural spinal curve disrupting the position of the pelvis to leg length discrepancy and issues with hip-joint mobility.<\/p>\n

A misalignment in the body can cause a number of effects that aren\u2019t just isolated to the area of the misalignment.<\/p>\n

Scoliosis and Pelvic Obliquity<\/b><\/h4>\n

Scoliosis<\/a>, for example, causes an unnatural lateral spinal curve to develop that also rotates, and this is capable of disrupting the alignment and symmetry of the entire body through postural and movement changes.<\/p>\n

Scoliosis is also progressive, meaning without treatment, its nature is to get worse over time, and as the spine is so key to the body\u2019s health and structure, an unhealthy spine can have many effects.<\/p>\n

The main symptom of childhood scoliosis is postural deviation, including uneven shoulders, shoulder blades, a rib cage arch, and uneven hips.<\/p>\n

In fact, in many cases, uneven shoulders and hips are the earliest indicators of scoliosis.<\/p>\n

So if the uneven forces of scoliosis are causing postural changes, uneven weight distribution and pressure on the pelvis, it can alter its position and cause one hip to sit higher than the other.<\/p>\n

Scoliosis causes an unnatural lateral spinal curve, uneven hips, and a lateral pelvic tilt can develop as a result if enough uneven pressure is occurring.<\/p>\n

A Leg Length Discrepancy<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A leg length discrepancy<\/a> involves the legs being unequal in length, and this can cause pelvic obliquity (1).<\/p>\n

The tilt in the pelvis can be caused by a structural<\/i> leg length discrepancy or a functional<\/i> leg length discrepancy.<\/p>\n

A structural difference in leg lengths is caused by anatomical differences in the length of the leg bones, or it can be caused by a functional difference whereby it seems the legs are uneven but this can be caused by a misalignment elsewhere in the body (1).<\/p>\n

Pelvic obliquity can occasionally develop as the body\u2019s way to compensate for the unequal leg length.<\/p>\n

So a leg length discrepancy that causes pelvic obliquity can also lead to scoliosis, most often, as a lumbar (lower back) or thoracolumbar (between the upper and lower back) scoliosis, and in some cases, scoliosis can cause the pelvis to tilt unnaturally.<\/p>\n

Initially this may only be a functional scoliosis where there is a lateral deviation of the spine but no rotation (2), but over time, this can turn structural.<\/p>\n

Hip Contractures<\/b><\/h4>\n

Hip contractures<\/a> cause limited hip movement due to stiff joints or tight muscles (2).<\/p>\n

A hip contracture can cause pelvic obliquity by disrupting the natural movement of the hip; the body can compensate by tilting the pelvis to counteract the uneven movement in the hip and maintain an economical gait (3).<\/p>\n

The body is symmetrical in design, so it will compensate in a number of ways to maintain its symmetry and alignment.<\/p>\n

Effects of Pelvic Obliquity<\/b><\/h4>\n

A misaligned body can cause a number of effects, and pelvic obliquity can develop due to an unnatural spinal curve causing postural changes and introducing uneven forces, or it can develop as a body compensation in response to a leg length discrepancy or hip contractures (1, 2, 3).<\/p>\n

If the pelvis is misaligned, its effects aren\u2019t just isolated to that area because it disrupts the alignment of the entire body and affects movement.<\/p>\n

Various effects can develop:<\/p>\n