Back pain can be draining and upsetting, especially if it’s always there and you have to be careful with every move. It’s not different with this particular lower back pain. Caused either by the misalignment or wear and tear of the sacroiliac joints, it usually presents as dull pain or a heavy feeling in one or both sides of the lowest, bony part of the back. Occasionally, the pain can be intense and acute, with possible referred pain to the groin, hip or even the back thigh. In this blog about yoga therapy for sacroiliac joint pain, I demonstrate a few yoga practices that can ease the pain and tightness. My next blog will focus on how certain stretches, movements and daily habits can make sacroiliac joint pain worse.
The sacroiliac (SI) joints are semi-moveable joints between the sacrum (the lowest part of the spine with the tailbone at the end) and the hip bones. Strong ligaments and muscles keep these joints stable and in place. However, continued stress on the joints or loose ligaments can cause the SI joints to become misaligned, with dull or intense pain as a result. Alternatively, the joints can become too rigid and arthritic. The pain is usually more intense on one side but can move from side to side. It tends to get worse when going from sitting to standing, when bending forward with straight legs, or getting up in the morning. There can be referred pain in the groins, hips and the back of the thigh. What’s more, the lower back muscles can go into spasm when the SI joints are unstable.
Yoga therapy for sacroiliac joint pain
Yoga therapy for sacroiliac joint pain recommends:
- Symmetry and core strength.
- Releasing the glutes, piriformis muscle and hamstrings.
- Correcting posture, of the pelvis in particular, to relieve the stress on the SI joints.
- Strengthening the hip girdle muscles.
The practices below demonstrate how to ease the pain of SI derangement and stretch the surrounding muscles. To benefit from a complete yoga therapy programme, why not get in touch about private sessions? You can contact me here: https://beneyoga.co.uk/book-a-free-consultation-call/, to discuss how yoga therapy could help you. Yoga therapy is not a quick fix, but it can help you manage the pain, and strengthen or release muscles where needed.
If any of the movements below hurt rather than feel like a stretch, please stop immediately. Never stay in a position if it still hurts after a few breaths.
Mobilising the lower back
-Lie on your back with the knees drawn up to the chest, one hand on each knee.
-Exhale and bring the knees a little closer to you.
-Inhale and return the knees to the starting position.
-Repeat about 8 to 10 times.
-Now make small circles with the knees together, a few times in each direction.
Glute stretch
-Lying on your back, bend both legs and place the right ankle above the left knee.
-Make sure the right and left side of the body are resting equally on the floor and the weight of right leg hasn’t made you lean over to that side.
-If this feels like a sufficient stretch, you can stay in the position for a short while. However, if you don’t feel enough of a stretch, hook your hands around the left leg and bring the leg towards you.
-If it feels comfortable, breathe into this stretch for up to a minute and repeat on the other side.
An easier alternative for the shoulders, is to rest the lower foot on the wall as in the picture below.
You can also stretch the glutes while sitting on a chair. Keep your back straight and chest lifted to feel the stretch.
All fours rock
-Turn around and position yourself on hands and knees. Gently rock forward and back: exhaling when you move closer to your feet and inhaling as you move closer to the hands. This is mainly a horizontal movement: feel the stretch in the lower back every time you breathe out and move the hips back.
-Keep looking straight down so that you can also enjoy the stretch for the back of your neck.
-Repeat for up to a minute, maybe reaching the hips as far as the feet when you exhale, coming back on all fours every time you inhale.
Frog
-Place the toes together and the knees wider. Rest forward with the forehead on your hands or with your head on a chair.
-Use a rolled towel under your feet if your ankles hurt.
-Stay for a few breaths or up to 60 to 90 seconds.
-Visualise the breath going down towards and soothing the painful area in the lower back.
Hamstring Stretch
-Lie on your back with both legs bent.
-Place a yoga belt, an old tie or bathrobe belt around your right foot and extend the right leg to the ceiling for a comfortable stretch.
-It’s very important to keep the back relaxed and the hips heavy on the floor so with every exhalation feel the back relax a little more.
-If the hamstrings are tight it is helpful to move in and out of the stretch: straighten the leg as you exhale and bend it again with every inhalation. Then hold the stretch and breathe in it.
-Work towards holding the stretch for 60 to 90 seconds.
Constructive rest position
After every yoga session, however brief, it is important to rest for at least 5 minutes. Resting with the legs on a chair can be particularly soothing for the lower back and the SI joints. Make yourself comfortable with a cushion under your head and one blanket underneath and one on top of you.
Back pain is draining. It can affect your mood because so many movements hurt, and you have to be careful all the time. Yoga therapy helps you find the movements and positions that can allow you to heal or manage the pain. If you would like to discuss if yoga therapy is right for you, book your free consultation call here: https://beneyoga.co.uk/book-a-free-consultation-call/.
My next blog will focus on how we can unwittingly make SI pain worse with daily movements and stretches.
Namaste
