Author: Christy Collins

Hi, I'm Christy! I've navigated my own health challenges, and now I guide others along the same path. I believe that information is power - there's always something you can do.
For Patients, My Story, My Writing, Physical Therapy

How to find a good physical therapist, Part 1: Persistence

One of the questions people ask me most frequently is “How do I find a physical therapist who can treat the SI joint?” Unfortunately, the answer to this question is almost as complicated as my answers to any of the more scientific questions people ask me. I thought I’d break everything I’ve learned about this into bite-sized pieces.  So, the first topic is persistence: I … Continue reading How to find a good physical therapist, Part 1: Persistence

Unknown's avatarChristy CollinsLeave a comment
Resources

If you’re reading this, give yourself a pat on the back.

Hi everyone! I wanted to send out a different type of post today– one that’s a little more personal. I’ve been hearing from so many of you recently, through email, Facebook, as well as comments on my blog. And you’re all asking really great questions– so great I practically end up writing entire  posts when I answer you! I know some of you feel a … Continue reading If you’re reading this, give yourself a pat on the back.

Unknown's avatarChristy CollinsLeave a comment
Aquatic Exercise, Strengthening

Reader question: Is it okay to work out in a pool if your SI joints are out of alignment?

Hi everyone! Hope you’re all enjoying the holidays. I’ve been getting some really great questions from readers recently that I think are worth sharing with you all. *** I recently heard from G., who was wondering it was okay to perform aquatic exercise when her SI joints and sacrum were out of alignment.   (She goes to an osteopath, who is able to put her joints … Continue reading Reader question: Is it okay to work out in a pool if your SI joints are out of alignment?

Unknown's avatarChristy Collins2 Comments
Resources

Why sitting can be painful with SI joint dysfunction

Hello everyone! I hear from a lot of people who say that sitting is one of their worst problems, wanting to know if this was a significant issue for me as well. My answer here is two–fold.  First, I’ll answer you based on my own experience, and then address why it might be so painful for some of my readers. For me personally: Whether or … Continue reading Why sitting can be painful with SI joint dysfunction

Unknown's avatarChristy Collins4 Comments
Si joint ligaments from the back
ligaments, Prolotherapy, Resources

Why Julie decided to pursue prolotherapy

Hi everyone! I am totally grateful to longtime reader Julie, who emailed me yesterday about her own experience consulting a doctor for prolotherapy. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the concept, prolotherapy is a relatively new form of treatment in which a special solution consisting mainly of sugar is injected into the ligaments of an injured joint.  This solution isn’t toxic, but it … Continue reading Why Julie decided to pursue prolotherapy

Unknown's avatarChristy Collins4 Comments
Knees, Muscle Imbalace, Resources

How I healed from chondromalacia patellae

Hi everyone! Something that comes up pretty often when people reach out to me is a knee condition called chondromalacia patellae (also sometimes called patellofemoral pain syndrome). As you may know, I was struggling with chondromalacia patellae in both knees when I first developed SI joint dysfunction. It seems to me that the two can go together pretty often, because both can be caused by muscle … Continue reading How I healed from chondromalacia patellae

Unknown's avatarChristy Collins6 Comments
Anatomy, For Patients, My Writing, Resources

What are people talking about when they talk about “balancing the hips?”

Hi everyone! I had a really interesting comment recently from a reader who’d been suffering from low back pain, but wasn’t quite sure what the exact cause was. She’d found relief both from a chiropractic adjustment as well as massage therapy. However, she wasn’t sure what exactly the chiropractor and massage therapist meant when they referred to the problem they were addressing as her “hips being … Continue reading What are people talking about when they talk about “balancing the hips?”

Unknown's avatarChristy CollinsLeave a comment
Anatomy, Joint Anatomy, Resources

My first Youtube video: Where is the sacroiliac joint?

Hi everyone!  Happy Monday. You may know that I’ve been meaning to make Youtube videos for a while now.  When it comes to certain concepts regarding the SI joint, I’ve come to feel that long, wordy posts aren’t always the best way to convey information. However, it’s taken me a while to actually collect my thoughts (never mind get up the courage!) to actually make … Continue reading My first Youtube video: Where is the sacroiliac joint?

Unknown's avatarChristy Collins3 Comments
ligaments, Strengthening

Why do “perfectly good” exercises sometimes not help?

I haven’t written a ton on my multiple physical therapy failures yet, because unfortunately there are so many. For now, let me just say that my physical therapist Paula, who finally helped me, was actually the fifth physical therapist I saw over the course of this journey. The first four offered varying degrees of helpfulness vs. unhelpfulness, but ultimately what it came down to was that they just didn’t … Continue reading Why do “perfectly good” exercises sometimes not help?

Unknown's avatarChristy Collins4 Comments
My Story, Resources

My experience seeing an orthopedist, and why I didn’t pursue lidocaine or cortisone injections

Hi everyone! For some reason this subject has come up a lot in my emails to readers recently, so I thought it was high time I give it its own post. *** At one point into my journey– I’d say it was probably about two years into the whole five year saga– I made an appointment with an orthopedist. I’d already seen one physiatrist, who … Continue reading My experience seeing an orthopedist, and why I didn’t pursue lidocaine or cortisone injections

Unknown's avatarChristy Collins2 Comments