*Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, If you are experiencing similar problems, please consult with a doctor.

It’s Friday so I’m linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five linkup! Join in! Don’t forget to link back to your hostess and visit some other bloggers.

So, my foot stopped hurting and I was running 10-13 miles every weekend pain-free.

Time for a new injury…not funny!

I guess my topic this week is: SI Joint Inflammation or Dysfunction

1. What is the SI Joint?

• Its full name is the sacroiliac joint.
• There are two of them in your lower back, and they sit on each side of your spine.
• Their main job is to carry the weight of your upper body when you stand or walk and shift that load to your legs.

2. How do you know your have it?

• Dull or sharp pain on one side of your lower back or buttocks
• Increased pain when standing up from a sitting position
• Hurts to bend over
• More painful in the morning

3. What causes it?

• You take uneven strides when you walk or run
• Injury from a fall
• Too much sitting
• Arthritis
• Worn cartilage
• Pregnancy

Except for the last one, I could justify this injury for all of the above. I have weakness in the left leg due to hardware in my ankle and recent neuroma pain.  Since March for my job, I sit ALL DAY!  I fell recently on a trail when running and who knows, I’m OLD so it could be arthritis and/or worn cartilage.

4. How do you treat it?

• Rest
• Ice
• Heat
• Naproxen or ibuprofen
• Massage or trigger point therapy
• Visit a chiropractor for re-alignment
• PT exercises

I immediately saw my chiropractor in addition to all of the above.

I walked a lot since it didn’t hurt to do so. I took time off from running and started back slowly.

5. What can you do to avoid it?

• See your chiropractor regularly
• Warm up and cool down before and after your runs
• Use a foam roller or Theragun after exercise
• Avoid sitting for long periods of time

I was lucky that my SI pain did not last long. I have heard that it can last from weeks to months (and it can re-appear). Little by little I was able to bend with less pain. I think seeing my chiro right away helped and by moving more and sitting less. But who knows?

Happy Running! Have you ever suffered by SI joint pain or back pain? If so, what did you do to get rid of the pain? Please share.