How To Sit With SI Joint Pain? Everything You Need To Know!

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How to sit with SI joint pain

You may not be able to sit in a normal position for a long duration when you are suffering from Sacroiliac Joint or SI joint pain.

As this is the important link between the spine and the pelvic region, there are many ligaments and joints around this region.

In many cases, the lack of mobility or excess mobility in one of the joints in this area can lead to SI joint pain.

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How To Sit With SI Joint Pain?

In given situation, many people report pain in the lower back and buttock region when the SI joint is affected.

This can pose problems when you are involved in different physical activities like standing, sitting, walking and climbing stairs.

You may have to avoid activities like running and climbing for some time when you are suffering from SI joint pain.

Your doctor will carefully analyze your condition and suggest the best ways to deal with this problem. Make sure to take proper medication and go for regular physiotherapy sessions to handle the problem.

SI joint pain due to hypomobility

How To Sit With SI Joint Pain

The SI joints are normally rigid, and they offer the right support for the spine and pelvis joints. It has limited mobility when compared to other joints as this has to offer stability for the body.

However, when one or both SI joints become too rigid, it can lead to SI joint pain. This happens due to trauma, and you need proper medical treatment to handle the condition.

The stiffness in the SI joints can lead to discomfort when you want to get involved in physical activities.

SI joint pain due to hypermobility

When the body has increased mobility in the SI joints due to many reasons, during this situation, the body does not get enough support in the SI joint, and it can interfere with the proper functioning of the other joints in the pelvis and spine that causes pain.

This condition is commonly faced by pregnant women as the SI joints get more laxity due to changing hormones, and this is the reason for lower back pain during pregnancy.

However, such pain caused due to pregnancy will go away on its own once the hormones return to normal levels after pregnancy.

Best way to sit during SI joint pain

  • Sitting during normal activities
Sitting during normal activities

When you are sitting on a chair or driving a car, make sure that your chest is held upwards and relax the lower back muscles.

If possible, support the lower back muscles with a cushion but do not depend entirely on the cushion for supporting the spine.

Keep your shoulder blades relaxed and drop them to reduce the pressure on your lower back region. In this way, the SI joint pain can be managed to some extent, and you can sit comfortably for long hours.

  • Sitting in a cross-legged position
Sitting in a cross-legged position

Sitting in a cross-legged position is also a good idea when you are at home as this can distribute the pressure evenly in the hip region and provide relief from SI joint pain.

Sit on a firm surface and pull the knees towards the hips. Raise the chest and drop the shoulders to reduce the pressure on the lower back region. You can get enough relief from SI joint pain with this position.

If your knees hurt after sitting in this position for some time, you can change the position.

  • Proper sitting position

When you want to sit on a chair, you can keep your knees apart as this will relax the lower back joints. Provide enough cushion to the lower back and sit upright as much as possible.

It is also a good idea to stretch the hips while sitting in this position. You will also benefit a lot when you raise the cushion for the lower hip region and keep your knees lower than the hip level.

In this way, you can keep alternating between different sitting positions throughout the day to avoid SI joint pain. This also keeps the joints agile, and it will not become too stiff in the long run.

  • Proper position for resting
Proper position for resting

You cannot sit all day, and you have to take a rest once in a while. In this situation, you can lie completely on your back and put your feet slightly up on the couch.

This will help you to get relief from SI joint pain, and it will also improve the blood circulation to that area.

You can use a small pillow to support your head when you are resting in this position.

  • Proper position for standing
Proper position for standing

When you want to stand for a long duration, you should keep your knees bent slightly to reduce the load on the SI joints.

Many people have the habit of putting more weight on one side of the body. This can lead to SI joint pain in the long run, and you should avoid that position.

Make sure that the weight is evenly distributed and you should keep your legs spread apart slightly while standing for a long duration. In this way, it is not possible to put more weight on one side, and the weight will be evenly balanced on both the legs.

In the same manner, you should also try to put the toes slightly outward as this will also help you to distribute the weight on both the legs properly.

Not only that, but it will also open up the hips and ease the SI joint pain when you are standing for a long duration. You should avoid standing for many hours at once as this can increase stiffness in the lower back region.

In this way, you can get some relief from SI joint pain by sitting and standing in the right manner.

Keep in touch with your doctor when you are going through this condition as they will monitor your mobility and suggest suitable exercises that can provide you with relief from the pain.

Depending on the intensity of your problem, they may even suggest medication to ease the pain. However, you will get long term relief when you take proper treatment and work on physiotherapy sessions.

This is the best way to handle SI joint pain in the long run.

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Dr. John Augustine received his BA from Harvard College magna cum laude in 1987 and his Ph.D. and MD degrees from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1992 and 1993. He was then an intern and resident in Internal Medicine at the Yale-New Haven Hospital from 1993-1995. From 1995-1998, John was a clinical associate at the National Cancer Institute. He joined the faculty of the Duke University Medical Center in 2008 as Chief of Rheumatology at the Durham VA Hospital, a position he held until the end of 2017. He served as Chief of Rheumatology and Immunology at Duke from 2003-2008. He has conducted basic and translational research in the field of autoimmunity. He was focusing on the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the immunological properties of nuclear macromolecules, including DNA. More recently, he has investigated the immune activities of HMGB1, a nuclear protein with alarmin activity, as well as microparticles. These studies have provided new insights into the translocation of atomic molecules during cell activation and cell death and the mechanisms by which cell death can influence innate immunity.

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