Sacroiliac Pain

The sacroiliac joint is part of the pelvic structure and symptomatically can feel like low back or hip pain. The muscles that stabilize the sacroiliac joint are the iliopsoas which is the main hip flexor, and the gluteus maximus which tends to be inhibited from sitting in our Western culture. When the sacroiliac joint is misaligned or stuck, it can feel sharp and like a physical block when moving from sitting to standing or going up and down stairs.  

Throughout pregnancy the ligaments of the sacroiliac joints loosen as estrogen and progesterone levels climb which is to prepare the body for labour and delivery. What this also means is that the ligaments which provided structural support to these joints are not capable of stabilizing the sacroiliac joint as much as they did pre-pregnancy, therefore the muscles start to work harder to help stabilize joints while also moving them. This is why hip flexor and groin tightness is common in pregnancy as well. 

For these reasons, sacroiliac pain can be managed with chiropractic care throughout the perinatal period, but resolution is unlikely until hormone levels have returned to pre-pregnancy levels. Adjustments, myofascial release, and gentle activation exercises support these goals, and in more challenging cases, trochanteric belts or kinesiotaping techniques can be utilized to facilitate stabilization.