Spinal stenosis is a condition caused by the space inside the spine being too small, causing pain and discomfort. This condition can be the result of a spinal injury, arthritis, or thick ligaments. Thankfully there are exercises that can help ease the pain from spinal stenosis, such as the pelvic tilt exercise. In this brief, we will discuss the importance of doing these and detail the correct way of doing this exercise.
By the way, if you haven’t already checked it out, have a look at Spinal Stenosis Guide: The Ultimate Guide, our awesome blog about spinal stenosis.
Dr. Starbuck explains this in his recent YouTube video as well — click here to watch it for free!
What is the Purpose of the Pelvic Tilt Exercise?
The main aim of this is to strengthen the abdominal muscles and stretch your lower back muscles. The increased muscle strength helps provide more support to your bone structure, which limits pressure on your spine. It is also great for helping you maintain an overall good posture. All of this can help relieve back pain caused by spinal stenosis.
How do you do it?
To do the pelvic tilt exercise, you need to lie on your back and bend your knees. Also, make sure that your feet are about two inches apart from each other. Now place your arms to your sides in a relaxed manner with your palms flat against the floor. In this position, thrust your pelvis up slightly with while pushing your back toward the ground.
During this exercise, your abdominal muscles are contracting while directing your belly button toward the floor. You need to ideally hold this position for 5-10 seconds before relaxing. It is advisable to repeat the whole process around ten times each session.
How Can I Tell If I Am Doing the Pelvic Tilt Exercise Correctly?
There is an easy way to find out if your method and positioning is correct or not. Simply place your hand over your belly with the pinky finger on the hipbone and the thumb on your lowest rib. Now do the pelvic thrust and notice if the space between your pinky finger and thumb grows smaller. If it does grow smaller, then you are doing the exercise correctly. Otherwise, you may need to adjust your position and thrust angle.
Final Thoughts
Spinal stenosis can cause pain and discomfort, hindering your everyday activities. With the spinal tilt exercise, you can get quick pain relief and provide more support to your spine. This can help reduce and eliminate the pain over time. If you liked this article, and you are concerned about posture, make sure to read up on How to Maintain Good Posture in a related blog post.
To know more about spinal stenosis and back pain, check out the Move More — Hurt Less YouTube channel where Dr. Grayson Starbuck talks about useful info related to health, wellness, physical therapy, stretching, exercises, and pain relief tricks and tips.He even has videos about pelvic tilt exercises (https://youtu.be/vwbsd_m5SVc). You can also see him or any PT on his dream team of practitioners in action by booking an appointment via Kinito Physical Therapy.
Kinito Therapy Clinic has always been about the customer. Our service delivery model saves you time, effort, and money. Above all, if you want to book a therapy session or get a musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging done with one of our highly specialized physical therapists, dry needling experts, or certified strength and conditioning specialists (CSCS), contact us at (405) 633-0783 or simply drop us an email at contact@kinitopt.com.
