How to take care of the pain in your behind.
Let’s talk Pregnancy problems – we’re starting a mini-series on common pregnancy problems and safe & effective ways to improve them.
The Sacroiliac Joint, also called the SI joint is one of the most stable joints in the body. It helps transfer load from our core to lower body and is sometimes considered the “keystone ” in our pelvic girdle. With Relaxin softening the ligaments in pregnancy, this load bearing joint becomes unstable, leading to one or two sided pain over the buttocks. Daily life movements – going up & down stairs, climbing in & out of a car, kneeling to pick something off the floor – all become more difficult and uncomfortable.
An unstable SI joint can also cause “sciatica” pain which starts in the buttocks & runs down the legs.
Chiropractic Care is the most well known remedy for SI pain, where the chriopractor manually adjusts the hip bones to be better aligned with the sacrum. This is called form closure – where the bones provide stability by fitting well in relation to each other – like puzzle pieces 🧩 that perfectly lock together. Now anyone who knows anything about pregnancy will tell you that because of the ligament laxity, your joint will probably go out of alignment, despite the good work your chiropractor does.
So what can one do to get long term relief from this issue or better yet, even prevent it?
You can use the other joint stability strategy – force💪 closure – to give your joint better alignment & pain relief! Using targeted exercises that a Pelvic Floor Therapist can teach you, you will be able to find longer lasting pain relief than if you only relied on manual adjustments.
Working on exercises that activate & strengthen the posterior oblique sling will help provide your SI joint the force closure it needs. Exercises and manual release techniques for the latissimus dorsi, thoracolumbar fascia and gluteus maximius are some of the strategies we use to help our clients achieve SI joint stability and have less pain & stay active as pregnancy progresses.
Watch our blog as we work on a series of posts to walk you through simple strategies to get started on your way to better SI joint Health! These exercises will also be helpful to those postpartum or anyone with chronic SI joint issues.
P.S. Pelvic floor therapy is not just to fix issues after they occur, you can work with us to prevent problems and stay healthy, pain-free & active during pregnancy!
