Sacroiliac joint pain

[sofaqueen]

Does anyone else get this after running and how do you deal with it? I really enjoyed my first run in a week but am in agony now

[runningnotwalking Graduate]

Not sure I could pronounce it let alone find it so I guess that's a no... Hope you feel better soon.

[sofaqueen Graduate in reply to runningnotwalking]

I thought your message was going to be a top tip but at least it made me laugh and forget the pain for a bit. If you put your finger down your spine and stop about an inch lower than the level of your belly button, then move your finger about an inch to the right it's just there, where there's a small dip. And it's pronounced 'sack-row-ill-ee-ack'. I hope you never get it but if you do at least you know it's location and pronunciation

[PastyMan Graduate]

Yesterday I got an email from RunnersWorld with a really good video on different exercises for plantar fasciitis (flat feet!) so thought I'd take a look there for you

runnersworld.com/running-ti...

[sofaqueen Graduate in reply to PastyMan]

Thank you so much, that's really kind of you. Looks like there's lots of information on that site, thanks for pointing me in the direction of it.

[DizzyMum Graduate]

Have finally been to the GP and physio about this myself, been a month of not knowing what it was and hoping it would just go away on it's own. Gutted that I'm not to run for a month whilst I have treatment. Will be swimming for the next few weeks, and sleeping with a hot water bottle. Ironic that it feels better after a run than if you do nothing.

[sofaqueen Graduate in reply to DizzyMum]

Sorry to hear you're suffering too, I hope swimming works for you as I find mine flares up after a swim. Since posting this a few weeks ago, I decided to buy a sacroiliac support belt (about £30 from Amazon) and it's been brilliant. I put it on in the house if my back needs some support and I've been running three times with it and did my longest run of 50 minutes yesterday with no pain at all. I think part of the problem is that there is movement in this joint whereas it should be fixed, so when running the movement is made worse and the belt just seems to hold everything in place. Have your physio and GP suggested you leave the running and swim instead and use the hot water bottles? Of course you have to take their advice, but the belt has been absolutely brilliant for me.

[DizzyMum Graduate]

The physio told me not to run and explained that until the stability in the joint is improved not to do exercise where you have "single leg stance" as this causes stress on the joint. Cycling, cross training and swimming are fine because the pelvis stays level.

The hot water bottle (or ice pack if that worked) is to take the edge off the pain before bed so I could sleep. It was feeling most severe when I tried to get comfortable in bed, and turned over - there's been alot of growling at the kids in the last month since I've not been sleeping well! I'll see how the treatment goes and ask about the belt, sounds a good idea. Thanks.

[sofaqueen Graduate in reply to DizzyMum]

It makes sense to not run as the movement will aggravate the SI joint but in my case I've had this along with sciatica on the same side for nearly 18 years since my first pregnancy so I know it's not going to 'recover' in my case, but it's a matter of learning to manage it. And there's no way I'm going to stop running after finally finding a form of exercise I love! Really feel for you if it's disrupting your sleep and can identify with being crabby with the kids when you're sleep deprived through anything, and constant pain day and night is really wearing too. Have you been given exercises to do? Hope you get more comfortable with it soon, here's a link to the belt I got in case you want to have a look. amazon.co.uk/Serola-Sacroil...