Hey everyone, I was just working on revamping the “My Story” page for this blog, and I ended up reflecting on one aspect of this saga which I really haven’t talked about as much: How totally and completely crazy I felt when I was first trying to get help for this problem. The first time one of my SI joints locked up, in 2011, it was a … Continue reading So, it turns out I wasn’t crazy…
Hey everyone, I recently stumbled upon this fascinating-looking course: Evidence-Based Examination and Treatment of the Pelvis through Medbridge Education. It’s a continuing education course for physical therapists who want to be able to treat SIJ pain. It’s given by Dr. Alexis Wright, who has a pretty impressive resume. She has a Ph.D. in physical therapy clinical research, is APTA board-certified in orthopedics, and is a Fellow … Continue reading Evidence-Based Examination and Treatment of the Pelvis (Continuing Education for PT’s)
Hey everyone, If you’re experiencing SI joint dysfunction, the pubic symphysis is another important joint to be aware of. The pubic symphysis is actually the third major joint that makes up what is often referred to as the pelvic ring, or pelvic circle. Everything is connected. Like the SI joints, the pubic symphysis isn’t intended to move very much. In fact, it’s one of those … Continue reading The Pubic Symphysis: the joint at the front of the pelvis
Hip labral tears are a condition that can sometimes accompany sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The labrum is a ring of cartilage found within the hip socket. Its main purpose is to absorb shock, as well as to help make sure your leg bone fits snugly inside the hip socket. Cartilage is generally pretty tough, but sometimes it can become injured. There are many different potential causes, according … Continue reading Labral tears
Honestly, as much as I have criticized chiropractors at times on here, I know I would have been completely lost when my SI joint first locked up back in 2011 if my chiropractor hadn’t been able to explain things to me. I’ve flat out never seen a physician that had anything truly helpful to say about the mechanics of this joint. I’ve seen one orthopedist … Continue reading Key Point #1: Identifying the problem
The SI joint is mainly held together by bands of connective tissue known as ligaments. These ligaments hold the sacrum (base of the spine) and the ilia (hip bones) together to make up the two sacroiliac joints. Here are some diagrams which give you a general view of what the ligaments look like: An injury to the SI joint will generally involve an injury … Continue reading The ligaments of the SI joint
Now that my SI joints themselves are actually staying stable (thank God!) I can begin to identify other factors that may have been contributing to my pain, and causing my sense of being off-kilter, all along. What I’m referring to specifically in this post is tightness in the muscles of the lower back. When these muscles are tight they can pull on the spine … Continue reading Tight muscles can mimic SI joint dysfunction
Hey everyone, These are some common terms relating to the SI joint which, unfortunately, can be very confusing to a lot of people. Let’s clear them up! The words hypermobile and hypomobile can be used in a few different ways to describe the SI joint, or any joint in the body. Let’s start by talking about what these words actually mean. Hypomobility refers to a … Continue reading SI Joint Concepts: Hypomobility and Hypermobility
So, I think I’m finally at the point in my recovery that seemed like a dream when people first described it to me five years ago: The point at which I’d finally develop enough muscle strength to make up for the fact that the ligaments that are supposed to hold my SI joint together have been stretched out, and are no longer doing their job. It’s funny … Continue reading The point I’m at now: When muscle strength finally takes over for weak ligaments
For me, the process of figuring out my SI joints has had to be very intellectual. The movement patterns of the sacroiliac joints are some of the most complex in the body. It wasn’t a matter of simply doing my exercises and getting stronger, because this joint is like a puzzle. The SI joint reminds me of those old metal “tavern puzzles” they made in … Continue reading The SI joint is like a puzzle
My Sacroiliac Joint Saga 