Hey everyone, Here’s a concept that comes up all the time, so I wanted to take a moment to clarify it. What is a ligament, and what is a tendon? And what happens when we injure each one? A ligament is a very tough band of connective tissue that connects one bone to another. LigamentsContinueContinue reading “What’s the difference between a ligament sprain and a muscle strain?”
Category Archives: Resources
How I healed my SI joints without surgery
Hey everyone, I realized yesterday that everything I’ve written about my own road to healing really comes down to two factors: Letting sprained ligaments heal Building muscle strength These two factors make up two equally important sides of the same coin. You need both for healing. The key is to balance one against the other.ContinueContinue reading “How I healed my SI joints without surgery”
Positions where the SI joint is more or less stable
A huge part of my recovery, in addition to learning which exercises to do and which specific interventions to use, was learning what not to do. As I wrote in a previous post, the SI joint is like a puzzle. For me, the process of understanding my own joints had to be very intellectual. AsContinueContinue reading “Positions where the SI joint is more or less stable”
The four main types of SI joint dysfunction
Hey everyone! I’ve been thinking a lot recently about different ways to classify different types of SI joint dysfunction and pain. When most people think of SI joint dysfunction, they think of it as the result of a musculoskeletal injury. However, there are other potential reasons for why people may experience SI joint pain.ContinueContinue reading “The four main types of SI joint dysfunction”
How SI joint dysfunction can affect the rest of your body
One of the craziest things about the SI joint is that even though it’s only meant to move a few millimeters, when those few millimeters of motion become restricted, it can really wreak havoc on the rest of your body. Although this joint isn’t meant to move a ton compared to other joints in theContinueContinue reading “How SI joint dysfunction can affect the rest of your body”
Frequently Asked Questions: the Muscle Energy Technique
Hey everyone– these are some Frequently Asked Questions about the Muscle Energy Technique. (I get asked these so often, I decided to put the answers up in their own post!). What is the Muscle Energy Technique? It’s a form of manual therapy, or “hands-on” therapy. To me, the name sounds a little bit more new-ageyContinueContinue reading “Frequently Asked Questions: the Muscle Energy Technique”
The core muscles & transverse abdominis: the most important place to start strengthening
Hi everyone! I’ve had a lot of requests recently for exercises for the SI joint. There are soo many things I want to say about this, but today, I figured we’d start with what I believe to be the most important place to start strengthening: a core muscle called the transverse abdominis. *** The transverseContinueContinue reading “The core muscles & transverse abdominis: the most important place to start strengthening”
What I learned from seeing my third physiatrist
I had a pretty interesting experience yesterday that I thought I’d share with you all– the good and the bad. I saw a physiatrist at Mass General Hospital who was actually familiar with treating the SIJ. (A physiatrist is a type of doctor that treats physical dysfunction, similar to an orthopedist or a pain specialist.ContinueContinue reading “What I learned from seeing my third physiatrist”
Traction: One of the best things you can do for yourself in the pool
Hey everyone, So, the really great thing about water exercise is that it allows you to strengthen the muscles that support the SIJ without putting additional strain on your ligaments. However… As if that wasn’t enough, the pool offers some additional benefits you can’t get from any other form of exercise. The most important moveContinueContinue reading “Traction: One of the best things you can do for yourself in the pool”
What’s so awesome about aquatic therapy?
It’s a great way to build muscular strength without negatively impacting your SI joints. Basically, if you have an SI joint injury, you have likely sprained the ligaments that are supposed to hold the joint in place. The only way around this is to build up enough muscle strength around the joint that yourContinueContinue reading “What’s so awesome about aquatic therapy?”
My Sacroiliac Joint Saga 