Your sacroiliac joint: Probably part of your problem

The sacroiliac joint can cause so many problems if it doesn't work right.

One thing I specialize in is the sacroiliac joint. The sacrum is at the base of your spine. Your ilium is your hips. They come together to form the sacroiliac joint.

You can read older blog entries on the sacroiliac joint for a basic understanding. I recently attended another seminar which addressed  the way the muscles of the body relate to this joint and how that relates to the ligaments that hold the joint together.

Basically, the joint is held together by ligaments. In a sacroiliac joint injury, the ligaments are stretched. The joint becomes hyper-mobile. In an attempt to stabilize the joint, the body will activate a multitude of muscles and people will experience this as a multitude of symptoms. Some of them include:

• back spasms, tight low back, back stiffness
• buttock pain and tightness
• if unaddressed, this can result in sciatica 

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Image copyright Sacro Occipital Research Society International ®

But there are so many muscles that attach to the pelvis that symptoms far away from the pelvis can actually be being caused by this sacroiliac joint problem. Some of these symptoms are:

• ​Shoulder pain​
• Neck pain
• Foot/ankle pain
• IT band syndrome
• knee pain
• hip pain
• elbow pain
• wrist pain
• headaches
• temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems/TMD

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Ultimately, the joint needs to be stabilized. It needs to be held together. This is contrary to much of the "standard of care" thinking in orthopedics, physical therapy and chiropractic, which focuses on mobilization of joints. Mobilizing the joint may give temporary relief, but ultimately it creates a perpetual problem with no end because the joint cannot heal.

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SOT® wedge-shaped blocks are placed under the pelvis to correct the sacroiliac joint.

Part of the way I decrease mobility in the joint is using wedged-shaped blocks that are placed under the pelvis. They help close the joint and compress the ligaments together. Sometimes this is enough to resolve the issue. Other times, patients need extra support. This is done by having the patient wear a trochanteric belt. Worn around the pelvis, it helps hold the joint together so the muscles don't have to. The muscles are then able to relax and the pain goes away.  Exercises can also be given to strengthen some of the weak muscles that contributed to the injury occurring in the first place. Healing of the joint can take 4-6 weeks. Sometimes additional nutritional support can be given to help the joint heal.
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So many of my patients have sacroiliac joint problems and this is one of my specialties. If you would like to know more or set up an appointment, call the office at 727-509-3760 or send an email to thedclcsw@gmail.com. You can also schedule appointments online.  

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