Some women experience SI joint pain in pregnancy due to the many changes occurring in their bodies! In this post, we’ll go over SI joint pain relief, SI joint pain exercises, how to sit with SI joint pain, SI joint pain symptoms, SI joint pain treatment, where SI joint pain is felt, and more!
What’s Sacroiliac Joint Pain?
The sacroiliac joints connect your pelvis with your lower spine. Most of the time, these joints cause no problems. However, during pregnancy, these joints can become inflamed and cause pain during pregnancy.
SI joint pain during pregnancy can be caused by multiple factors, including:
- Increased weight
- Changes in posture
- Increased ligament pressure
- Increased mobility of the spine and pelvis
Relaxin is a hormone that increases throughout pregnancy to increase pelvic mobility and make birthing your baby easier! Throughout your pregnancy, relaxin continues to increase until labor begins.
Where is SI Joint Pain Felt?
Sacroiliac joint pain is most commonly felt where the SI joints are located, which are in the lower back and buttocks. However, SI joint pain can also be felt in the thigh and leg for some people.
Is SI Joint Pain Serious?
Sacroiliac joint pain isn’t usually serious. Still, let your midwife or OB know if you’re experiencing pain. Then, you should be offered an appointment with a physical therapist who will make an assessment to diagnose sacroiliac joint pain.
This assessment may involve looking at your posture, your back and hip movements, and ruling out other possible causes of your pelvic pain during pregnancy.
If numbness and tingling or weakness is present, let your midwife or OB and physcial therapist know, as an alternative diagnosis may be considered.
SI Joint Pain Symptoms
Symptoms of sacroiliac joint pain in pregnancy may include:
- Lower back pain
- Pain in buttocks
- Feeling of leg instability
- Hip or groin pain
- Like pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy, your pain may be worsened by movements, such as:
- Walking on uneven surfaces or for long distances
- Opening your knees, like when you’re getting in or out of the car or bed
- Standing on one leg, like when you’re walking up the stairs, putting pants on, or getting in or out of the bath
- Rolling over in bed
- During sex in some positions
How to Sit with SI Joint Pain?
Since sacroiliac joint pain during pregnancy can be made worse by opening your knees or standing on one leg, it’s important to. be mindful of how you sit, get up, get into or out of the car, and get dressed!
When sitting, try to avoid crossing your legs to avoid throwing your pelvis off balance or putting pressure on your pelvic joints and ligaments. Instead, while sitting, ensure you have good posture by keeping your heart space over your pelvis and keeping your legs un-crossed.
Additionally, when getting in or out of the car, avoid opening your knees. Instead, sit down then swing both of your legs into the car at the same time, and vice-versa for getting out of the car.
Lastly, when getting ready, to avoid standing on one leg when putting your pants on, sit down on your bed while putting your legs into your pants. Then, stand up on both feet at the same time to pull up your pants.
Is SI Joint Pain the Same as Sciatica?
Sciatica is nerve pain caused by something going on with your sciatic nerve.
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, running from your lower spine to your buttocks and down the back of your legs. Further, the sciatic nerve is not just one nerve. It’s actually a bundle of nerves that come from five nerve roots branching off from your spinal cord.
Sciatica nerve pain often feels like a sharp shooting pain causing tingling or numbness all the way down the back of the spine. This pain results from irritation, inflammation, and/or compression of the sciatic nerve.
On the other hand, sacroiliac joint pain can occur without any effects on the sciatic nerve, making sciatica and SI joint pain different conditions.
To learn more about sciatica, check out: Sciatica Nerve Pain in Pregnancy: Sciatica Stretches and More!
Who Diagnoses Sacroiliac Joint Pain?
After letting your midwife or OB know about your pain, they should refer you to a physical therapist who will provide an assessment to diagnose sacroiliac joint pain.
Can SI Joint Pain Be Cured?
Through gentle stretching and exercise, SI joint pain can be cured.
Keep in mind, the earlier you begin stretches and exercises for lower back and pelvic pain, the sooner you can treat or greatly improve your discomfort. Ideally, start these stretches and exercises while trying to conceive or in early pregnancy to prevent pelvic pain during pregnancy.
Check out: How to Exercise During Pregnancy for a Better Labor for everything you need to know about weight gain during pregnancy, benefits of exercise during pregnancy, prenatal exercise recommendations, and more!
You might also be wondering, “will SI joint pain go away on its own?”, and it go away on its own sometime after giving birth. However, if you have ongoing pain, it’s important that you continue to receive treatment and work with a women’s health physical therapist.
7 SI Joint Pain Exercises
Using exercises, you can improve your sacroiliac joint pain in pregnancy!
By strengthening your lower back, upper back, and abdomen, you’re providing anchoring spinal and pelvic support from the front and back of your body.
Check out: How to Use 7 Lower Back Pain Stretches During Pregnancy, as this post also includes 4 lower back and pelvic pain exercises!
Hot tip: If you have a heating pad, use it to warm up and loosen your pelvis and lower back before beginning these stretches. Then, following your stretches or exercises, or if simply want some relief, use ice as ice is used to decrease inflammation and soothe activity-related flare-ups.
I highly recommend this Extra Large Heating Pad that comes with 6, easy to use, heat settings from Amazon!
SI Joint Pain Relief
The best tips to relieve your sacroiliac joint pain during pregnancy include:
- Warm showers, warm compresses, or a heating pad for 10 minutes at a time
- Relaxing off of your feet. Still, remember to use good posture to promote optimal positioning of your baby as you near childbirth. Keep your heart space over your pelvis while sitting or lying down.
- Sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs and good posture
- Also, consider sliding a pillow to your back to provide back support with a pillow between your legs for lying down or sleeping. Further, a more firm mattress may provide more back support if needed.
- Avoid sitting for long periods of time
- Gently stretch the muscles (keep reading for the best lower back pain stretches during pregnancy!)
- Sleep on the opposite side of the pain (if the pain is on one side)
Why is Joint Pain Worse at Night?
Your pelvic pain might feel worse at night depending on how you’re sleeping or if your mattress is too firm or too soft for your pelvis and lower back.
I recommend checking out the MomCozy Maternity Body Pillow as this pillow has enough shape to use is for sleep or propping yourself up to sit comfortably. This body pillow also has a soft, breathable fabric and adequately provides the all-around lower back, pelvic, and neck support that you need during pregnancy!
Why is Joint Pain Worse in the Morning?
On the other hand, some women might notice that their sacroiliac joint pain is worse in the morning. This might also be because of how you’re sleeping or if your mattress is too firm or too soft for your pelvis and lower back.
I would try the gentle stretches in: How to Use 7 Lower Back Pain Stretches During Pregnancy, first thing in the morning and see if that helps!
Why is Joint Pain Worse in Cold Weather?
Cold weather can exacerbate joint pain because frigid temperatures can heighten pain sensitivity, slow blood circulation, and even cause muscle spasms [2].
The best way to combat these effects are to stay snuggly warm and continue daily gentle stretches and exercise to support your body structures and improve blood circulation!
Questions or Comments?
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below👇🏻
Talk soon, mama!
– Katelyn Lauren
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DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding you or your baby’s health. Please read my Medical Disclaimer for more info
References:
[1] Fiani, B., Sekhon, M., Doan, T., Bowers, B., Covarrubias, C., Barthelmass, M., De Stefano, F., & Kondilis, A. (2021). Sacroiliac Joint and Pelvic Dysfunction Due to Symphysiolysis in Postpartum Women. Cureus, 13(10), e18619. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.18619
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