What Are Possible Causes of Uneven Hips?
When people experience a condition known as uneven hips, their pelvis may be misaligned. The scientific term for misaligned hips is “lateral pelvic tilt.” At the Spine INA, we see many patients with hip imbalance or other pelvic issues. Learn more about why you may have tilted hips and what we can do to help.
Signs and Symptoms of Uneven Hips
Your hips, pelvis and spine are all connected. Patients with pelvic misalignment may feel pain in any of those three regions. If you’re not sure whether your hips are uneven, look in the mirror for these three criteria:
- Your pelvis is not parallel to your shoulders.
- Your hips are tilted forward or backward.
- Your hips are horizontally uneven.
Any of those observations may indicate a hip imbalance. Some people with uneven hips will also feel symptoms of pelvic misalignment throughout their bodies. Lateral pelvic tilt symptoms can include:
- Low backache.
- Unbalanced walking.
- Hip and back pain after standing, walking or laying down.
3 Causes for Lateral Pelvic Tilt
Many patients will go through much of their lives without noticing a hip imbalance. So what is it that causes tilted hips? Most doctors narrow it down to any of these three causes:
- Scoliosis: Scoliosis is the presence of an “S” or “C” curve in your spine. Some cases worsen over time and put pressure on your hip bones and pelvis.
- Differences in leg length due to posture: Your muscles may shorten from consistently poor posture. In this case, your hips become uneven due to one side pulling upwards and the other weakening.
- Physical difference in leg length: A significant difference in your legs’ lengths can create pelvic misalignment over time. Some people are born with this condition, whereas others may develop due to improper healing after an injury, arthritis or bone diseases.
Treatments for Lateral Pelvic Tilt
As the cause of pelvic misalignment may vary, so will the treatment. Patients with functional leg discrepancies often heal through regular exercise and massages. Patients with severe cases of scoliosis may need surgery to align the spinal vertebrae. If you’re worried about treatment for misaligned hips, it’s best to schedule a conversation with a specialist.
Contact Spine INA Today
At the Spine INA, we help patients of all ages with pelvic misalignment concerns. We’re leaders in the least invasive spine procedures and offer cutting-edge surgical techniques. If you have uneven hips or want to know more about lateral pelvic tilt procedures, you can contact our team online.
Make an appointment at any of our convenient New Jersey locations, or call (609) 371-9100 to learn more.
This content was medically reviewed by Baher S. Yanni, MD, on April 26th, 2022.
