Many physicians do not believe that the sacroiliac joint moves in any consequential way. As an Osteopathic physician, I believe that it does.

Here is a brief response to a viewer question who was referred to me for his sacroiliac or SI pain. His general practitioner told him that they do not move, and that his pain had to be from his hip, in spite of several negative radiological studies of his hip, and continuing pain even after ‘treatment’ for his hip pain.

The SI joint is at the intersection of the sacrum and the pelvic bone (see picture below), and while it does not move much- it does indeed move. With each step it rotates anteriorly with the push off of your leg, and posteriorly with extension of the opposite leg. Occasionally with stress or poor body mechanics, this joint can become ‘stuck,’ sometimes causing significant pain from what are known as anterior or posterior inominate dysfunctions.

Drawing of sacroiliac joint.

In a later post, I will provide you with some simple exercises you can do to help mobilize your SI joints, and I have asked Jorden Gold of the Stretch Zone to provide some stretches as well.

Later this week, look for my ergonomic review of the iPhone 4, and specifically how it compares functionally to the iPad.

Thanks for joining me!

-Andy

“I woke up a few days ago, and when I got out of bed, I felt something ‘pop’ in my lower back. As soon as I stepped onto the floor, I knew I was in trouble. I had excruciating pain just over my left hip, radiating into the middle of my back.

I saw my GP that evening, and he prescribed something called a Medrol pack, and told me to take it easy for a few days. The medicine has definitely taken the edge off, but it really hasn’t gone away. It feels a little better after I walk around for a while, but I am afraid of overdoing it. How long should I rest it?”

-Stephen

First Stephen- I am sorry you are in so much discomfort, and second, thank you for your question.

That your physician gave you a Medrol Dose Pack suggests to me that you are in a considerable amount of pain. The Dose Pack is a tapering dose of steroids which helps to rapidly reduce inflammation. Now, I haven’t examined you myself, but judging by your description, your pain may be coming from your lumbar spine or your sacroiliac joint. The fact that you feel relief after taking a short walk supports this.

Assuming you have no other issues going on, you should feel slow improvement over the next several days.

As for how long you rest it, that largely varies from person to person. General rule holds true here- if you rest, you rust. Sure you need to give it a couple of days to calm it down, but after that initial acute phase, it is almost always in your best interest to slowly increase your activity levels as tolerated. Reintroduce your daily activities and exercises in a slow, progressive manner, and back off the ones that cause you pain. Your body needs to move, and remaining too sedentary will only cause you to stiffen up, and lose muscle tone. If you continue to feel discomfort ALWAYS follow up with your physician. Remember, your doctor isn’t going to come to you, so even if they’ve seen you- get re-evauated if your pain persists.

I hope this helps Stephen, and again, thank you for your excellent question!

Best,

Andy