Introduction
Of all the people who do suffer from this debilitating pain of lower back pain, between 15 and 30% of them are sufferers of sacroiliac dysfunction. Often the onset of back and leg pain can start from as young as someone in their 30s. This pain can come and go over their lifetime if they don’t take steps to resolve it.
Fortunately, with treatment, up to 80% can experience improvement after being diagnosed. There are natural remedies, such as rest, stretching, applying heat treatments, prolotherapy, and finding ways to improve your posture, too.
What Is Sacroiliac Joint Pain?
Did you know you have two sacroiliac joints? Yes, they are at the lower back, sitting on each side of your spine. They connect the spine to your hips.
These joints have an important job to do in your body, and that is to carry your upper body weight when you walk or stand. They absorb the impact when you are walking and lifting things. They offer stability and support. That’s where the pain starts if you have it – often traveling up your spine during the day.
Those of you who have stood up from a chair and experienced that devilish pain in the lower back will know what we are talking about here. Sometimes, the pain can be so severe that you need to take charge with a treatment plan. See what renowned Dr. Axe suggests to help you cure SI joint pain.
What Causes SI Joint Pain?
When you experience sacroiliac joint pain, you feel it in your lower back and your buttocks. Often this pain is caused by injury or damage to the joint between the hip and the spine.
There are other problems that sacroiliac joint pain often mimics, such as a real hip problem or a herniated disc.
Other causes of SI joint pain can be:
- From an automobile accident
- A serious fall
- Obesity
- Arthritis
- Pregnancy
- UTI – urinary tract infection
- Repetitive stress
- Crohn’s disease
Should I Do Exercises And Stretching For SI Joint Pain?
Yes, it’s an excellent idea. It is considered an essential part of the treatment plan for sacroiliac joint pain and dysfunction.
Most of the pain that stems from these two joints can be managed or treated by using non-surgical methods. These include manipulation, exercise, and physical therapy such as stretching to help relieve the sacroiliac joint pain.
SI joint pain exercises will relax tense muscles and ligaments and restore the natural movements of the joints. These will help to condition the surrounding muscles and ligaments so they can better support the joint.
A whole range of muscles support the SI joint, so SI joint pain exercises like aerobics will help to improve circulation and deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. This will promote the healing process in injured or weakened sacroiliac joints. It is a good idea to pair rehabilitative exercise with other therapies and pain management methods for optimal relief.
Have you heard of acupuncture therapy? It can be very useful because it increases and improves the blood flow to the area.
If you don’t experience any improvement from the sacroiliac joint stretches and exercises, a trained chiropractor or physical therapist could be considered. If this does not help either, then x-rays will be taken. A fluoroscopic-guided injection may be administered into the SI joint to provide temporary pain relief.
Excellent Physical Exercises For SI Joint Pain
If you have unfortunate sacroiliac joint pain, at least the good news is that you can start doing something about it.
Some excellent SI joint pain exercises will be able to alleviate the pain and discomfort. Try some of the one below to give you relief. Just one word of caution – if the exercises make the pain worse, don’t carry on with the exercises. Rather go and see your doctor and he will take it from there.
1. Hamstring stretches
Hamstring stretches[1] activity could be one of the most effective sacroiliac joint stretches. Go down on the floor and lie on your back. For this exercise, see that you are near a doorway. Extend the leg of the side that is not sore through the doorway. Lift the other leg, the one with the pain, and place it against the wall next to the doorframe – keep it as straight as possible. Feel for a stretching feel to the back of your thigh. Hold this position for about 15-30 seconds, and repeat three times.
2. Quad stretches
Another of the most popular sacroiliac joint stretches is Quad stretches[2]. Stand near a wall, approximately an arm’s length away. Your injured side should be away from the wall. With your face forward and keeping yourself steady, place one hand against the wall. With your other hand, grab your injured-side ankle. Pull the heel towards the rear end. Keep your knees together, being careful not to arch or twist your back, grabbing the ankle on your injured side, and pulling your heel toward your buttocks. Hold this move for 15-30 seconds.
3. One knee to chest stretches
For this one, lie on your back with your legs straight out in front. Then bring one knee up to your chest, grasping the back of your thigh. Pull the knee toward your chest so that you can feel your buttock muscle stretching. Hold this move for 15-30 seconds, then return the knee to the original position. Each side should be done about three times to benefit from this type of sacroiliac joint stretches.
4. Lower trunk rotation
Lie down on the floor on your back. Keep the feet flat on the floor with your knees bent. Tighten your stomach as you push your lower back down onto the floor. Keep your shoulders down flat while you gently rotate your legs to one side as you can without moving your shoulder, and then do the other side as well around 10 times.
5. Resetting your SI joint
This is a common remedy if your SI joint is painful and misaligned. You can reset it by igniting the inner thigh muscle groups or the adductors. Adduction means bringing the thigh closer to the midline of your body by standing and crossing the painful leg side in front of your body. People who have tried this have reported getting short-term relief from this move.
Look at this adduction form in a supine position:
Start in a supine position. Place your feet flat on the floor. Keep your knees bent. Then place something soft like a rolled-up pair of socks between your knees and then gently squeeze, counting to five, before you slowly release. Do this exercise around 3 to 5 times.
Here are a couple more exercises:
- Hip adductor stretch
- Glute exercises
- Both knees to chest stretch
- Back bridge stretch
- Isometric hip adductor stretch
Frequently Asked Questions
Stretches that target certain muscles[3] can help alleviate SI joint pain and restore some range of motion to the lower back, pelvis, and legs.
Physical exercise and therapy are an essential part of the treatment plan for sacroiliac joint pain and dysfunction. Here are also some good exercises[4] for you to participate in.
Yes. But remember, some SI joint pain exercises can make it worse.
If you are battling to reduce the inflammation and SI joint pain despite doing all that you can, your doctor might recommend surgery called SI joint fusion.
Conclusion
Most of us spend a lot of time sitting in front of computers or our cars, watching TV. The average person in the USA sits for around 56 hours a week. This practice often leads to sacroiliac joint pain and stiffness.
Remember to always have a positive attitude as you do your activities – it improves recovery. Prevention is also key so that you avoid a recurrence of SI joint pain or injury.
