Wellington Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Pain Treatment

The sacroiliac (SI) joints are a common source of pelvic pain.

The weight of the upper body is transferred through to the pelvis via the two SI joints. When there is abnormal motion in these joints it can often lead to pain and inflammation, becoming a condition known as sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

An SI joint is highly reliant on the surrounding ligament structures for support, therefore anything that comprises these soft tissues can lead to the joint becoming dysfunctional. Pregnancy/childbirth, bad posture habits, sudden movements and forceful impacts are common causes of ligament injury leading to hypermobility of the SI joint. Chiropractic treatment aims to restore normal motion to the SI joint and allow the area to heal.

A recent study found that manipulation therapy appeared to be effective in reducing pain and disability in patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Although there are weakness in this study design (e.g. no control group) it adds weight to what Chiropractors claim to see in practice.

Another study showed that manipulation of the SI joint lead to an improvement in the feed-forward activation of the core abdominal muscles. This other study found that people with delayed abdominal activation were more likely to experience a lower back injury.

If you want thorough treatment for your sacroiliac joint pain, try out Karori Chiropractic 

Maybe It’s Not The SI Joint

Pain in the lower back and pelvic area can often be hard to pinpoint. Perhaps it feels as though it is coming from the SI joint but in reality, it is coming from a nearby structure.

Another major source of pain in this area is the large surrounding muscles. Muscles of the body naturally adapt to the physical stress put on them. It is common for people to have desk jobs and sedentary lifestyles which are leading to the weakening of the pelvic muscles as they get less use. The muscles then become sore, tight and tired, struggling to cope with normal daily physical activity. Chiropractors are also trained to look for the tell-tale signs of these muscular abnormalities and give out stretching and strengthening advice to combat these issues.

A different source of pain nearby is the lumbar spine. Occasionally issues with the lower back can cause the feeling of pain into the pelvis. This is called ‘referred pain’ and is reasonably common.

Find out more about how we can help with back pain.