The Sacroiliac (SI) joints connect the sacrum (tailbone) to the ilium (pelvis). One can feel these two joints by palpating the two “bumps” on your lower back on either side of your spine. Due to the shape of these joints and their proximity to strong ligaments, the movement that occurs is minimal yet can be clinically relevant to low back pain. Many times, pain in the lower back is actually caused by a dysfunction of these joints as opposed to a problem in the spine. It is important to be able to distinguish whether the pain generators are a result of SI joint or spinal dysfunction, or both.
The Chiropractors at Kailua Wellness Center will complete a thorough assessment in order to understand what is causing the symptoms you may feel. Unlike many other health practitioners, we attempt to find the root problem that causes pain or dysfunction and fix it at the source.
A main cause of pain in the SI joint region is due to a shift in the pelvis (pelvic torsion) that causes one side to be higher or excessively rotated. This causes the other side to become compressed which can begin to irritate nerves or other structures in the area. The surrounding muscles will generally sense this new found instability and tighten or spasm to create more stability. This leads to tightness and a lack of mobility throughout the lower back and pelvic regions. Some patients report they feel crooked or uneven within their pelvic regions. This can lead to strong pain over the joints, or even a referral of pain shooting into the gluteus muscles. Chiropractic can relieve your pain by aligning your sacroiliac joint.
If you are experiencing these types of symptoms, or have any questions related to this please give Kailua Wellness Center a call at (808) 261-8181
