SI joint: Let's discuss (Read 906 times)

Very very common. Usually this lasts for some 2-4 weeks max. Usually. NSAIDS, ice and activity help. This is one of the few things for which an adjustment will most certainly help.

No numbness or tingling in the legs at all. From all my reading, it seems that these symptoms are very common. My pain is VERY localized in a small spot just to the right of my spine. I haven't had any pain outside of that immediate area. Thanks for the info, Trent. It is appreciated. Now back to being patient and thinking positive thoughts. Joel

Survivor here. Literally. I don't know how mine started either but I woke up one morning in 2002, tried to get out of bed and fell on the ground. It felt like someone had a knife in my hip socket. Well, at that point I attributed it to sleeping weird, on a pressure point or something, walked it off and moved on with my day. It got progressively worse until, long story short, by 2005 I was eating 20+ Tramadol a day to TRY to deal with the pain, was down to 90# because said Tramadol were killing my appetite, walking with a cane, in constant pain, unable to sleep, move, walk, or have a life, the muscles in my left leg were atrophying because my sciatic nerve was completely squashed and unusable along with other nerves along the same pathway, they were contemplating surgery because one of my lumbar facets had actually jumped over another due to the extreme muscle contractions, and no doctor could even put a name to the problem much less fix it. I got to a point where I was sitting with a fresh refil of 90 Tramadol with them all spread out on the table, wondering if I should take 2 or all 90. Sat up all night with the cat contemplating that one. What manages it now is exercise/running, and it was actually a serendipitous discovery...all the doctors were telling me rest and DON'T exercise. I don't have to run, it's just my preferred activity, but I have to bike, walk, do the elliptical, something, or else it comes roaring back. If I stay active, it's 90% improved, to the point where some days I have no symptoms at all. The important thing is to KEEP ACTIVE. Being sedentary will only make this sort of thing worse. Cutting back is fine if you're in pain, but stay moving.

Typically it is from a combination lift and twist.

Interesting. I can see where that would do it, but I don't remember lifting and twisting with anything. Then again in the course of a day, who knows. Could have been a cumulative thing too.

I am talking about the SI joint, which involves no muscles. The lift/twist puts it into strain and it can micro-dislocate. Often it pops right back in, but by then the damage is done. I agree that lift/twist can also injure muscles.

I see you are an MT. Do you ever do any SI adjustments?

I had an SI problem about 10 years ago. It sucked. You do have that pain in low back area to one side but tends to make whole back sore. As Trent says, SI shearing can occur from a sudden move. My issue was related to an alignment problem. When I was in the fitness industry, I got to know a manual PT. I brought him in once a week to do tune ups for members/clients for a fee. Well, these members kept telling how he would do things to them that amazingly would cure their issues in back, hips, knees etc. Some people had issues for years. I never needed him to work on me, but a few years later this PT opened his own practice. At this time I was dealing with this issue big time. I let it go a year. Finally, I made an appointment. He had me stand facing him and facing away. He said, "I see exactly your problem". Your left clavicle is higher than your left. This affected the lats which affected the pelvis etc. causing a shearing at SI joint. He did some weird things on me and whollah, no more issues. Healed! I went back recently when dealing with upper hamstring tendonitis to correct a potential cause. He found no real alignment issue causing the tendonitis other than a touch of tightness on one side. Good to hear. My advice is to find a good "manual physical therapist" if the issue doesn't clear up within a month.