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Let’s talk about SI joint pain. We can start by talking about what it is and then I will show you a few stretches to stop it.
The SI joint (sacroiliac) is where your hip bones meet your spine and it is a common site for pain for several reasons: your joint could be moving too much, your joint could not be moving enough or your joint could be slightly out of place (subluxed). Since there are several reasons for pain at this joint it's hard to say specifically why any one person has pain at their SI joint without a hands on physical exam. Typically, the pain is sharp and it's found on one side of the lower back. The pain gets worse with single leg activity for instance: walking, going up the stairs, running. Some people notice discomfort on one side while squatting, laying flat on your back also. If these symptoms are what you are dealing with now...try these stretches.
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500,000 back surgeries are done each year. What leads someone to having back surgery can vary greatly. Some people have localized back pain that is severe and persistent, some have numbness and tingling, some a loss of strength and some have all three severe pain, with numbness and tingling and a loss of strength.
I’ve met many people who’ve had amazing results from back surgery. Their surgeons explained that the back surgery is the start of a 6 month to one year journey that consists of resting, healing, physical therapy, and slow steady progress. But I have seen many others like George. Just an ordinary day of cleaning your home when you bend over to pick up a shoe..when BAM! Your lower back grabs you leaving you with a sharp searing pain that runs all the way down to your foot. You are very familiar with this feeling...it's your disc going out AGAIN. Now you are looking at having to spend a week on muscle relaxers laying flat on your back. Until finally the pain subsides and you can get back to your life. Only to have the pain return after taking your groceries from the car into your house.
I mean...How dare you try to take care of your family by cleaning your house and buying groceries! All jokes aside. Having reoccurring back pain was very frustrating for Karen. It's normal to get pain and wonder what is this? Is it just a random ache that will go away on its own or is this something that could cause permanent damage. Just the other day my husband had a weird ache on his rib he wanted me to look at just to make sure it was just his rib and not something worse.
Of course, he has easy access to someone who knows where to look and what to press on to determine if there is a serious injury or if the pain is something that will go away quickly. However, most people if your back starts to hurt all you have are family, friends and google. So if you are up late at night worrying about what your back pain means...it can be scary. Your mind wanders to the friend that had a bad experience with painkillers, or the family member who’s back went from bad to worse. And no matter symptoms you punch into google cancer seems to alway be the answer. So how do you find out what it means if you have back pain? I received this email:
“Dr. Molly, I’m contacting you because I have this severe right lower back pain. It's hard to say when it started. It was simply annoying for the longest time, so I just ignored it. It was just a little achy when I bent over or walked too long but it wasn't strong and didn’t stop me from doing anything. I thought I’d stepped wrong and it would go away eventually. But over the last 2-3 weeks the pain is worse when I lean forward, walking and doing my housework is miserable. Then yesterday I layed on the floor to stretch and my back locked up. I couldn’t move! I had to have my husband lift me up off the floor. The pain was so severe I thought my back was going to snap. After about an hour the pain finally went away but I'm still scared to brush my teeth, to vacuum or bend over to hug my kids. I have to sit down just to hug my kids; which is just crazy to me. I don’t want surgery and I’m afraid to ask for painkillers. Is this something that physical therapy can help with? I really don’t want to be afraid to hug my kids. Is there anything I can do to stop this from getting worse? Sincerely, Cathy |
WE HELP ACTIVE ADULTS OVERCOME THEIR ACHES AND PAINS TO GET THEM BACK TO THEIR FAVORITE ACTIVITIES WITHOUT MEDICATION, INJECTIONS OR SURGERIES.
Dr. Molly McDonald
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