Sacroiliac Joint Pain (SIJ pain) is pain felt at or near the sacroiliac joints of your pelvis as a result of sacroiliac joint dysfunction. These are joints located at the 2 dimples of the lower back. The pain often feels deep within your lower back and can occur on one or both sides of your back. In some cases, pain radiates down to the buttock and the back of the thigh.
While pain may begin at any time during pregnancy, SIJ pain on average begins in the 18th week of pregnancy and becomes more intense as the pregnancy progresses. The pain usually spontaneously resolves within 3 months post delivery. But in some cases it can become chronic and disabling.
This video will educate mother-to-be on SIJ pain, when and how it happen and what should be done to treat this issue.
For further help, please visit our main page at www.capitalphysiotherapy.com.au
If you do suffer from back pain, I highly suggest you seek professional help ASAP.
At Capital Physiotherapy, we can accurately diagnose your pain and give you tips and strategies to help make your pregnancy journey a smooth and pain-free experience.
How Does it Feel?
People with SIJ dysfunction may experience:
- Pain that may be sharp, stabbing or dull, localized to 1 side of the pelvis/low back, groin, or tailbone.
- Pain that may radiate down to the knee.
- Pain with movements, such as standing up from a sitting position, turning in bed, or bending/twisting.
- Muscle tightness and tenderness in the hip/buttock region.
- Pain with walking, standing, and prolonged sitting.
- Pain that is worse when standing and walking, and eases when sitting or lying down.
How Can a Capital Physiotherapy Help?
At Capital Physiotherapy, your physiotherapist will design a targeted treatment program based on your evaluation and your goals for a safe return to sport or daily activities. Treatment may include:
- Hands on therapy, includes soft tissue release or massage for tight and sore muscle groups. Hands on therapy are used to correct pelvic/SIJ alignment. Joint mobilizations/manual therapy uses gentle movements to improve mobility of the hip, SIJ, and low back.
- Stretches exercises. Stretching exercises may be prescribed to improve the flexibility of tight muscles. They may also help to improve movement in the spine and lower extremities, and help decrease stress at the sacroiliac joint during daily activities.
- Specific Strengthening exercises. Strengthening helps to improve the stability of the sacroiliac and spinal joints, which helps to reduce ligament strain and pain. These exercises are focused on weak muscles, including the lower abdominal, pelvic floor, and buttocks muscles.
- Taping/ Bracing. Depending on our assessment, our physiotherapist may also recommend bracing/ taping your sacroiliac joint. It is used to provide stability during daily activities as your strength returns, and flexibility improves. This modality is especially helpful for pregnant women.
All treatments prescribed by the physical therapist will be based on your specific case.
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