Understanding SI Joint Dysfunction

[00:00:00]If you have SI joint dysfunction and someone told you to do this stretch, stop. This is one of the most common mistakes I see with SI joint dysfunction and I want to tell you a bit about why.

[00:00:11]And it keeps people in pain longer than they need to be. The SI joint, the sacroiliac joint, is a joint of stability. They are three of the biggest bones in the body, so there's only a little bit of movement. So stretching to increase more motion when it's bone to bone is not really necessary. But doing aggressive stretches like the piriformis stretch and the figure four stretch will likely irritate a hypermobile SI joint.

[00:00:38]Because when you boil it down, SI joint dysfunction is a dysfunction of instability. So here's your quick test.

[00:00:44]Go ahead and stand on one leg and see if you can maintain balance. The second thing you want to do is see if your pelvis stays level. The third thing you want to do is to turn around and see if when you raise your leg if your pelvis rolls backwards on the one side. If it stays stuck or moves forward, that's a positive test. So in that five-second sequence, you looked for balance and proprioception, you looked for strength and stability of the gluteus muscle, and you looked for a positive stork sign with proper mobility of the SI joint.

[00:01:15]Now, if you want to dive in a little further, I've got my free guide to a better diagnosis. Just comment below with guide. It's the 20 most common tests and measures that need to be performed for your low back pain that your doctor probably didn't do.