15% to 30% of lower back pain issues are due to SI joint pain. Around 80% of adults in the US experience this lower pain somewhere in their lives.
Plus, certain activities can severely trigger this SI joint pain. Figure out the activities today.
Know What Activities Aggravate an SI Joint In 20 Seconds!
| Avoid these when you have SI joint pain
➔ Don’t go on for rope jumping ➔ Don’t play golf ➔ Avoid playing tennis ➔ Cut down running and jogging ➔ Don’t go for sit-ups ➔ Keep yourself away from cardio machines |
6 Activities That Aggravate A SI Joint
Different activities can aggravate your SI joint. Here are the top 6 activities that can worsen your SI joint.
1. Avoid Rope Jumping
You should avoid rope jumping, especially when you have pain in your SI joint. When you do rope jumps, you strain your ligaments even more when you fall and land.
Rope jumping involves a double high-impact landing that transfers tension, stress, and shock through the legs to your whole body. Overall, all these situations can flare up the sacroiliac joint pain.
2. Avoid Playing Golf
Golf is another sport you must avoid when you have SI joint issues. Well, the issue arises when you swing the golf club hard!
The twists and turns around your back give a significant pelvis rotation and it can aggravate your existing joint pain.
It gradually worsens because you must walk certain golf distances to play the next shot. This walking exerts pressure on your pelvis and the SI pain can elevate.
3. Don’t Play Tennis
Tennis requires tens of back-and-forth running, with sudden directional changes and halts. All these activities put a lot of stress on the hips, pelvis, and ligaments.
So, if you have chronic back pain, it’s best to avoid playing tennis. Not just tennis, avoid sports like:
- Racquetball
- Badminton
- Volleyball
All these sports can put massive pressure on your back and increase your SI joint pain.
4. Cut Down Running
Running is good for your health, but it can have a huge impact on your hips. Every step you take transfers weight from a leg to its corresponding hip. These weight transfers exert pressure on your back which can at times elevate your back pain.
So, if you suffer from serious back pains, it’s best to stay away from running completely. However, if you do have to keep yourself moving, you can consider walking.
5. Don’t Do Sit Ups
If you have been facing SI joint pain for a long time, sit-ups are the first thing you need to avoid. Even the basic sit-up exercises can hurt your back and can worsen the overall situation.
When you do sit-ups, you lift the torso towards the chest and your abdomen moves towards the knees. This entire movement puts tension in your ligaments that connect the sacroiliac joint and pelvis, making the pain even worse.
6. Stay Away From Cardio Machines
Stair climber, treadmill, or any other cardio machine should be avoided if you face SI joint pain issues. Exercising on a cardio machine also means you are running or jogging in a place.
So, doing all these exercises can put pressure on your back which can eventually elevate your sacroiliac pain. In fact, the cardio machine can be more intense than natural climbing or jogging which can be far more damaging than natural exercising.
Check Out These Reddit Threads and What People Have to Say About Their SI Joint Pain (Embed these)
Anyone overcome SI joint pain? Let’s talk. : r/ultimate
SI (sacroiliac) Joint Pain relief? : r/ChronicPain
SI Joint pain management : r/ehlersdanlos
3 Tests To Tell You If SI Causes Your Back Pain
Here are the 3 tests that can easily determine whether your back pain is due to SI.
1. FABER Test
With the FABER test, you will feel pain in areas like the spine, hip, or lumbar. FABER basically stands for:
- Flexion
- Abduction
- External Rotation
The test is also famous as the figure-four test or Patrick’s test. To carry out this test, the examiner will first lie you flat and bring the hip joints in the FABER position.
The examiner will then bend one leg at your knee and the other crossed so that your ankle rests on your opposite knee.
Check Out This FABER Test Video To Get A Better Understanding
FABER/Patrick/Figure 4 Test-How to Perform it and What it Means!
Your examiner will then gently press on your knee to stabilize the opposite hip. If you feel pain in the hip or SI area, it could mean you have SI or any related pain.
2. Thigh Thrust
A thigh thrust mainly involves lying flat with your affected hip and knee flexed at a 90-degree angle.
The examiner will then apply pressure from the front and back. If there’s any pain experienced during this time, it means you may have SI joint issues.
3. Gaenslen Test
Step 1: Lie on the back close to the table’s edge.
Step 2: Let the affected leg or side hang over the edge.
Step 3: The other side will have the knee flexed to the chest.
Step 4: Firm pressure will then be applied to the flexed knee.
Step 5: Counterpressure will then be applied to your hanging knee.
What Is the Treatment for Sacroiliac Joint Pain?
Physical therapy is so far the most common SI joint flare-up treatment. Here a physical therapist will stretch your muscles around the sacroiliac joints. This will eventually take the pressure off the joints and aid you in staying stable.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Activities Should You Avoid with SI Joints?
When dealing with sacroiliac (SI) joint issues, these are the following sacroiliac joint pain exercises you should avoid:
- High-Impact Exercises
- Heavy Lifting
- Twisting Movements
- Prolonged Sitting or Standing
- Asymmetrical Movements
2. Are Squats Bad for the SI Joint?
Squats can be problematic for the SI joint if not done correctly. Improper squats can place excessive pressure on the SI joint.
3. How Do You Calm Down a SI Joint?
Here’s what you can do to calm down SI joint flare-up symptoms and pain:
- Rest
- Ice and Heat Therapy
- Over-the-Counter Pain Medications
- Gentle Stretching and Strengthening Exercises
- Physical Therapy
4. What Makes Sacroiliac Joint Worse?
Certain activities and conditions can worsen sacroiliac joint pain, including:
- Prolonged Sitting or Standing
- Poor Posture
- High-Impact Activities
- Heavy Lifting
- Twisting Movements
- Weak Core Muscles