Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Pain

Low back pain is a symptom and not a diagnosis. Every time I speak to and take on a client, they have some type of low back pain even if it is not their primary issue.

Today I would like to talk about the SI joint. The SI joint is where your sacrum meets your ilium (or, pelvis) and creates a joint in the low back off to each side. You can find this joint where the ‘back dimples’ would be.

This is a VERY common place for pain among a lot of people, but it can’t be treated as a 1 size fits all approach because so many different factors affect the SI joint. There are about ~38 muscles that attach to the pelvis alone and play a role into causing SI joint pain.

Let me also note that SI joint pain does not mean it’s ‘off’ or ‘out of place’ or ‘thrown out’. SI joint pain is where we often hold stress and can hold pain (stress = physical and emotional).

So, what do we do?

A simple fix is to quickly activate all of the muscles surrounding the pelvis in a shotgun technique. A push and pull movement, and open and close movement, and some front and back body movement will instantly decrease your pain. However, it doesn’t last.

To create a long term fix, we need to address the imbalances that may be happening in your body. Are your hip flexors firing over your glutes? Is your back really strong while your front ‘core’ is relatively weak? Are your hip flexors tight? Are your adductors weak? Do you know how to rotate your hip while standing on it? You need to assess these things and learn how to strengthen (or lengthen) these muscle groups and learn how to utilize them to create an even balance surrounding your SI joint.

Curious as to how you figure out what group needs help? Reach out to a professional who will help you determine this and get you back to what you love doing!