Everything You Need To Ease Sacroiliac Joint Pain

The sacroiliac (SI) joint plays a crucial role in maintaining the spine's stability by connecting the sacrum to the ilium. This joint and various muscles and ligaments enable our body to engage in essential movements such as walking and running. However, when this joint becomes inflamed or misaligned, it leads to sacroiliac joint pain. Injury, pregnancy, osteoarthritis, abnormal walking pattern, intense exercises, and many other health conditions can cause such pain.

Some mild exercises and stretches for SI joints can help relieve your pain. But stretches and exercises aren't the only solutions for every SI joint pain. During pregnancy, the production of the relaxing hormone causes this pain, and stretches cannot help in such cases.

So, how to unlock the SI joint by yourself? Although advanced SI joint pain calls for a professional medical evaluation, some exercises, stretches, and changes in sleeping positions do the job for general joint pain.

And for initial relief, you can try the following stretches, exercises, and sleeping positions.

Exercises for SI Joint Pain Relief

Gentle exercises that flex the muscles of SI joints can help reduce the pain. Here are two SI joint pain relief exercises you can try at home:

Adductor Squeeze

A simple and effective exercise to target the inner thigh muscles and provide instant pain relief by resetting misaligned SI joints is as follows:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Prop yourself up on your elbows to raise your upper body slightly.
• Place a softball or pillow between your knees.
• Engage your inner thigh muscles by squeezing the ball or pillow with your knees.
• Hold the contraction for 3 seconds.
• Relax your knees and release the squeeze.
• Repeat the exercise 10 times.

Band Abduction

Band abduction is another effective exercise for strengthening the thigh muscles and reducing SI joint pain. This exercise requires a simple tool like a thin band, which can be purchased or made using stretchy banding materials.

Here are the steps for performing the band abduction exercise:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place a resistance band around your knees, ensuring it is comfortable and secure.
• Extend your knees outward, pushing against the resistance of the band.
• Hold this position for a moment.
• Slowly bring your knees back together.
• Repeat this movement ten times.

Stretching for SI Joint Pain

You can stretch the muscles around your SI joint daily for a few minutes for long-term benefits. Even a couple of stretches are enough to see a good result. Stretching can help loosen up the tight areas of the SI Joint and relieve tension from your lower back. Doing stretches can help reduce your pain and discomfort while ensuring flexible movements.

1. Knee-To-Chest Stretch

The knee-to-chest stretch is beneficial for loosening the muscles around the SI joints and relieving discomfort. This stretch can also help improve the condition of sciatic nerve irritation.

Here are the steps for performing the knee-to-chest stretch:

• Lie on your back.
• Hug your left knee towards your chest with both hands.
• Hold for 60 seconds, feeling your lower back and buttocks stretch.
• Keep the other knee flat on the floor.
• Release and repeat with your right leg.
• Hold for 60 seconds, feeling the stretch.
• Return to starting position.

This stretch can relieve and promote flexibility in the sacroiliac (SI) joint area. Remember to perform the stretch on each leg separately and hold the position for an appropriate duration to experience the full benefits.

2. Double Knee-To-Chest Stretch

The double knee-to-chest stretch relieves tension in the lower back, hamstrings, and hips, while also targeting SI joint pain.

Here are the steps for performing the double knee-to-chest stretch:

• Lie on your back.
• Bring one knee towards your chest, gently pulling it closer with both hands.
• Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, feeling the stretch in your lower back and buttocks.
• Lower the knee back down.
• Repeat with the other knee, bringing it towards your chest.
• Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
• Lower the knee back down.
• Rest for 30 seconds.
• Repeat 3 to 4 times, alternating knees.

Remember to hold each knee towards the chest for an appropriate duration and rest between repetitions to experience the full benefits of this stretch.

3. Figure Four Stretch

The Figure Four stretch is highly effective for mobilizing various hip muscle groups and the lumbar spine.

Here are the steps for performing the figure four stretch:

• Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor.
• Rest the left ankle on the right knee, creating a 90-degree angle.
• Pull right knee toward chest, using both hands.
• Feel the stretch in the left buttock.
• Hold for about 60 seconds.
• Release right knee and return to starting position.
• Repeat with the left knee crossed over the right.
• Squeeze left knee toward the chest.
• Hold for about 60 seconds.
• Release left knee and return to starting position.

This stretch targets the muscles of the buttocks and hips, including the piriformis muscle, which can help relieve tension and discomfort in the sacroiliac (SI) joint area. Remember to perform the stretch on each side to achieve a balanced stretch and hold the position for an appropriate duration to experience the full benefits.

Sleeping Position for Sacroiliac Joint Pain Relief

You must maintain a neutral spine alignment while sleeping for sacroiliac joint pain. Sleep patterns are different for individuals.

• When sleeping on your back, put pillows under your knees instead of keeping the knees straight
• Put a pillow under your pelvic region when lying down on your stomach
• When you're side sleeping, put a pillow between the knees

If you feel constant pain around your SI joints and no home remedies are working, it’s time to seek medical attention. At Flagler Health+, we want you to live your best life. No matter your age, joint pain can prevent you from living the lifestyle you love. That’s why we’re here to help. Our comprehensive Orthopedic Care Center features specialty fellowship-trained surgeons and a specially trained nursing staff who work together to keep you active and strong. Dr. Jeffrey Keen, with UF Health St. JohnsOrthopedic Specialists, is a board-certified fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee surgery. For more information on our practice or our providers, visit our website.