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. As much time as I spent exercising or going to the … Continue reading Positions where the SI joint is more or less stable
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. Sometimes, you can have an underlying medical condition that’s actually … Continue reading The four main types of SI joint dysfunction
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-agey than it needs to. The kind of Muscle Energy Technique … Continue reading Frequently Asked Questions: the Muscle Energy Technique
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 transverse abdominis is the #1 most important muscle to strengthen to stabilize … Continue reading The core muscles & transverse abdominis: the most important place to start strengthening
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
So I tested my SI joints today in a way that I haven’t since I injured them: I went for a hike, not in my regular shoes, but in my actual winter boots. They were still relatively new and had that just-out-of-the-box feeling– in other words, they were kind of stiff. And I pushed myself. I charged up hills, I gingerly balanced my way down … Continue reading In the Woods
Every time I write this, I’m afraid I’ll jinx myself. But my SI joints are still in place. They haven’t moved out of place since May (my first San Francisco trip). Since then, I have begun to do more and more. I’ve even run, at times, though it hasn’t been any more than a few strides crossing the street in a hurry. But still, that’s something– … Continue reading Still stable/what we can heal from.
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
My Sacroiliac Joint Saga 