For the past couple of months I’ve been spending most of my time on my back… no, not because of that (wink wink)! Issues with my back have plagued me for years and I’ve seen various doctors and chiropractors but the underlying problem was never diagnosed until a recent visit to another chiropractor who knew immediately what was wrong – a sacroiliac sprain.
Little did I know that, during the months before my diagnosis, I was making it worse with my yoga routine. All those forward bends and twists were aggravating the problem, not making it better. So, I had to stop yoga for a while, which is driving me crazy. I’ve tried just doing gentle yoga but it flairs up again, so for now – no yoga for me. At least until the inflammation goes down, which it is albeit very slowly.
You’re probably wondering what a sacroiliac sprain is. Simply put, it’s an injury affecting the joint which connects the spine and pelvis. It can be rather painful and debilitating and, after researching about it online, I think I’m one of the lucky ones. There are some people so badly affected by it, that they can barely walk a few metres.
Sacroiliac sprains have a tendency to affect women who have given birth. It can also occur when carrying something heavy whilst twisting at the same time or from a nasty fall on the backside (ouch!). SI joint problems are also very common with yoga practitioners. Mine, however, seems to be more from spending a lifetime sitting in front of a computer screen (!). Great, I’m an author. What should I do?
My chiropractor recommended getting a standing desk, which I can do, no problemo. Fortunately my hubby made a high desk for me last year which I had been using with a high stool. Now I can just use it standing. He also recommended avoiding sitting on the soft comfy sofa. What?! But what about my movie marathons that I so love? Well, suck it up basically. Bummer.
And avoid sitting cross-legged too. Huh? But I love sitting cross-legged! Well, at least prop your knees up with cushions, he suggested.
Generally, anyone suffering with SI problems, should avoid sitting for long lengths of time. If you must, then get up and walk around every twenty minutes or so.
If the inflammation is causing you discomfort, put an ice pack on it a few times a day for a good twenty minutes each time.
The other thing I highly recommend is drinking lots and lots of ginger water which has excellent anti-inflammatory properties (and is delicious) to help that pesky sacroiliac sprain. Grate some ginger (at least a good-sized 2-3 cms piece – more if you like it spicy) into a full medium-sized saucepan of water and boil for five minutes. Turn off the heat and add at least half a lemon (sliced thinly). When cooled, strain before adding 2 to 3 dessert spoons of honey. Mix et voila! Natural medicine. Yummy.
When the inflammation is under control, then you can think about getting physical again (YAY!). I’m talking about gentle exercises of course. My chiropractor told me to avoid all those forward bends (especially the wide-legged variety) and twists and instead focus on simple movements:
1. Standing upright, carefully lift one leg backwards, keeping it straight. Don’t lift it until it hurts, just so your toes barely skims the floor. Repeat ten times or so and then repeat with the other side. Do several times a day.
2. With your feet hip width apart, toes slightly pointing outwards, squeeze the top of your butt cheeks (as if you were holding a pencil between them!). Repeat at least ten times. Do several times a day.
3. When you feel ready to increase the intensity, repeat number 1 with a resistance band wrapped around your ankle (tie a knot in the other end and trap it in the doorway).
4. Maybe now you’re ready to start some very gentle yoga moves. There are tonnes of yoga videos online but I’ve only found one full routine that deals directly with SI joint sprain which I’ve shared below.
If you can suggest some really good yoga asanas for sacroiliac sprains, I’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch! And in the meantime, if you enjoyed this post, please sign up to receive my posts directly into your inbox.
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