So. I've spent the last week thinking a lot about exercises for the SI joint. I've been thinking of all the exercises my PT Paula gave me, as well as a few I came up with on my own. And it's funny, I don't think I ever thought about this consciously before, but it dawned … Continue reading The most important place to start strengthening: the core & transverse abdominis
Hi everyone! I've had multiple requests recently to make a post about the exercises I do for my SI joint. I’m definitely planning to put something up in the future-- it’s just taking me a little while to figure out the best way to explain things, and also what sort of visual aids I might … Continue reading Three major muscle groups to strengthen for SI joint dysfunction
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. … Continue reading What I learned from seeing my second physiatrist
In my last post, I talked about how pool exercise/aquatic physical therapy has been so central to my recovery-- both in getting me to the point I'm at now, and also helping me to maintain my recovery. The really great thing about water exercise, and why I believe it is superior to pretty much any … Continue reading One of the best things you can do for yourself in the pool: traction (letting your legs hang beneath you in the deep end)
There are a few reasons I really enjoy getting emails from readers. For one thing, it means a lot to me to know the things I write are helping people. Additionally, when someone writes and tells me their specific situation, answering them really helps me to clarify my thoughts. Sometimes when I’m working on a … Continue reading The importance of pool exercise to my recovery
When my SI joints were at their worst-- aka their most hypermobile-- they were extremely sensitive to the kind of surface I was resting on. Of course, in the midst of my problem, the mattress I'd loved for about 10 years finally wore out. And it wore out bad. Now that I'm doing better, it's almost … Continue reading Let’s talk about mattresses.
Something I've really come to notice during my time with SI joint issues is the effect of my menstrual cycle on my SI joints. Basically, one of the hormones a woman's body releases in the days leading up to her period is a hormone called relaxin. As the names suggests, relaxin acts as a chemical messenger … Continue reading Powerful female hormones, injuries & back pain
I was just working on revamping the "My Story" page for this blog (trying to make it a little more personal), and I ended up reflecting on one aspect of this saga which I really haven't talked about as much: Which is how totally and completely crazy I felt when I was first trying to get help … Continue reading So, it turns out I wasn’t crazy…
Dean Somerset is a really interesting exercise physiologist/personal trainer based out of Canada. He has a website where he offers a lot of cool resources on the body, training, and, of course, the SI joint. He has two articles: SI joint dysfunction Stuff You Should Read: SI Joint Edition Now, the thing about the SI … Continue reading Dean Somerset on SI joint dysfunctions
As a follow-up to my last post, I just stumbled upon this interesting blog post: http://feruzimwero.com/blog/2010/12/physical-therapy-reveals-my-rotated-sacrum/ It's from a patient who went through physical therapy to correct a rotated sacrum. Reading this post, I was a little bit skeptical about whether or not stretching alone would able to fix this problem. However, judging by Feruzi's follow-up post, … Continue reading Feruzi Mwero’s blog: A rotated sacrum
