Sometimes, when it comes to back pain, you just can’t win. And that’s how it feels if you have any sort of sacroiliac (SI) joint pain. I say that because people get SI joint pain from both moving too little or too much. But regardless of the cause, if you have any type of SI joint pain, you’re probably looking to get out of pain fast. These 9 SI joint exercises will do exactly that! Designed to strengthen the muscles surrounding this joint, these SI joint exercises will help prevent future pain and injury!
Speaking of, that’s the goal here at Back Muscle Solutions. Our philosophy is fix the muscles, fix the pain. We proudly educate people across the globe on how to fix their muscles and take control of their back pain journeys...without being dependent on a clinic.
And since approximately 15-30% of people with lower back pain have their SI joint to thank for it, we wanted to attack the SI joint head-on. [1]
Today, we’ll cover:
- SI Joint Anatomy & Function
- SI Joint Pain Causes & Symptoms
- Fix the Muscles, Fix the SI Joint Pain
- 9 Best SI Joint Strengthening Exercises
- One Tool to Massage Them All
- SI Joint Pain Exercises to Avoid
- Sacroiliac Joint Pain Exercises During Pregnancy
- SI Joint Exercises FAQs
These SI joint pain exercises are easy to perform. Plus, you can do them right from the comfort of your home!
SI Joint Anatomy & Function
So first, let's establish some basics about your SI joints.
We’ve all got two of them. On either side of our pelvis.
More specifically, your SI joints can be found right where your triangle-shaped sacrum (at the base of your spine) meets your ilium bones (the large flat bones on either side of your hips).
This is a huge connection point between your upper and lower body. And really, the SI joint serves as a stability joint, serving to:
→ Absorb shock during movement (such as running)
→ Transfer force from the upper to the lower body
→ And provide overall stability to your spine and pelvis
SI Joint Pain Causes & Symptoms
People with SI joint pain are often misdiagnosed as having Piriformis syndrome or sciatica, so it’s important to know the major signs of SI joint pain.
Most people experience SI joint pain on just one side. This happens when the SI joint itself becomes misaligned for some reason.
Some potential causes are:
→ Sitting for too long and not moving
→ Excessive walking or movement
→ Pregnancy and childbirth
→ Aging
→ High-impact athletic events
Regardless of the cause, once your SI joint becomes misaligned, you’ll experience:
→ Lower Back Pain
→ Hip Pain
→ Groin Pain
→ Thigh Pain
→ And generally, an “off” feeling in your hips
Fix the Muscles, Fix the SI Joint Pain
The SI joint is located at a pivotal connection point in your body. Plus, it’s surrounded by important muscles that greatly impact the function of your hips, glutes, and lower back.
The thing to know about the SI joint is that–even though it’s a joint–it doesn’t like to move. So, when one of these muscles becomes stiff, tight, agitated, and inflamed, it’s the SI joint that often takes the hit. These muscles end up pulling on the joint in various directions, leading to SI joint pain.
These 5 muscles are:
2) Iliacus
3) Psoas
4) Glute Medius
5) Piriformis
You can learn more about these 5 muscles in the article below:
“5 Muscles Contributing to Your Low Back Pain that You've Never Heard of”
Today, I’ve categorized the SI joint exercises for you by muscle, so you can focus on specific areas of your body that might be out of whack.
9 Best SI Joint Strengthening Exercises (By Muscle)
SI Joint Exercises for the Quadratus Lumborum (QL)
Located on either side of the spine, the QL is a deep lower back muscle responsible for side bending and heavy lifting. It’s an undercover back pain culprit, and it happens to be our specialty here at Back Muscle Solutions.
Here are the best SI joint pain relief exercises for the QL:
SI Joint Exercises #1: Bird Dog
1) On a yoga mat, support yourself on your hands and knees–shoulders above hands and hips above knees.
2) Bracing your core, raise your right arm and left leg up and hold them horizontally for 15-20 seconds.
3) Return them both to the mat.
4) Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
5) Then, switch sides.
SI Joint Exercises #2: Side Plank
1) On a yoga mat, turn your body to the side, supporting yourself with one elbow and one foot.
2) Stack one leg on top of the other, and maintain a tight core throughout the pose.
3) Hold this for 30-120 seconds per side.
SI Joint Exercises #3: The QL Twister
1) On a yoga mat, lie down on one side.
2) Slightly bend the knee of your top leg, bringing it in front of the lower leg.
3) Now, twist your torso to face up, pushing your top leg against the floor.
4) Repeat for 10-14 reps.
5) Then, switch sides.
Check out a video of some of our top QL exercises below:
3 QL Strengthening Exercises For Bulletproofing The Lower Back
SI Joint Exercises for the Iliacus
Though the iliacus is a hip flexor muscle, it refers lots of pain to the lower back when agitated. You may also feel pain in your upper thigh from the iliacus.
This muscle runs from the top of your hip to the top of your femur, so it makes sense that sitting for long periods puts this muscle in some pain.
Here’s one of the best SI joint exercises for your iliacus muscle.
SI Joint Exercises #4: Knee-to-Chest Stretch
1) Lie on your back on a yoga mat with your feet fully extended.
2) Raise your left knee up toward your chest, clasping both hands around the knee to hold it in place.
3) Hold for 15-20 seconds.
4) Repeat on the other side.
Learn more about the Iliacus in the video below:
Iliacus Muscle: A Predictable Lower Back Pain Trigger
SI Joint Exercises for the Psoas
Because of their close connection, the psoas is often grouped together with the iliacus, referred to together as the iliopsoas.
Running from the lumbar spine to the top of the femur, the psoas helps whenever you bring your knee to the chest. So, the last SI joint exercise we just covered–knee-to-chest stretch will absolutely also strengthen your psoas!
The psoas will pull on the lower back when tight and agitated, resulting in both lower back and hip pain.
Here are some of my favorite SI joint exercises for the psoas:
SI Joint Exercises #5: Banded Standing Psoas March
1) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, looping a mini band around both feet.
2) Bring your left knee up toward your chest, resisting against the band.
3) Then, under slow control, allow your leg to return back down to the floor.
4) Switch sides for your next rep.
5) Repeat for 10-12 reps.
Believe it or not, this psoas march is one of many variations. Check out more variations in the article below:
“6 Best Psoas March Variations: Lying, Elevated, Standing, and More”
SI Joint Exercises #6: Boat Pose
1) Sit on a yoga mat.
2) Lift your feet up to the sky, keeping your legs straight.
3) Simultaneously, hold your arms straight out in front of you.
4) Hold the pose for about 20 seconds, pulling your shoulder blades down, puffing your chest, and bracing your core.
5) Repeat.
Learn more about psoas exercises in the article below:
“7 Best Psoas Muscle Exercises: Stretch and Strengthen Your Psoas”
SI Joint Exercises for the Glute Medius
Located at the highest part of your butt, the gluteus medius helps with balance and hip abduction.
Often injured from lifting heavy objects or a high-stress event, the glute med sends pain to your lower back, tailbone, and glutes when agitated.
SI Joint Exercises #7: Clamshell
1) Lie down on your side on a yoga mat, supporting your body with an elbow.
2) Bend your legs slightly, keeping them together.
3) Next, keeping your feet together, lift the top knee up and off the other leg.
4) Slowly lower the leg back down, and repeat for 0-15 reps.
5) Next, switch sides.
SI Joint Exercises #8: Side-Lying Hip Abduction
1) On a yoga mat, lie down on your side with your legs stacked.
2) Raise up the top leg.
3) Then, slowly lower it back down.
4) Repeat for 10-15 reps.
5) Then, switch sides.
Here’s a video with more glute medius exercises for you!
Gluteus Medius Exercises Before And After
SI Joint Exercises for the Piriformis
The piriformis runs from the sacrum to the top of your femur, and it lies deep in the glutes–just below the gluteus maximus.
Injuries are often caused by high-impact activities, but they can feel worse when sitting for too long.
Most people with piriformis pain feel it in their tailbone, glutes, and even numbness or tingling down the leg.
Here are some great SI joint pain relief exercises for the piriformis:
SI Joint Exercises #9: Seated Piriformis Stretch
1) Sit in a chair.
2) Cross one leg over the other.
3) Pull your knee toward your chest for 10-15 seconds.
4) You can then ease up a little; then repeat.
In the video below, our founder, Ben, explains the relationship between piriformis syndrome and sciatica:
Pain In Your Butt? It May Be The Piriformis Muscle And Sciatica
One Tool to Massage Them All
Please pardon the LotR reference.
But I had to. Because there’s only one lower back massage device on the market that provides therapeutic massage for all 5 muscles we’ve been talking about today.
And it’s the one we created: The QL Claw.
And it literally outdoes every other massage device because it has a trigger point specifically designed to reach all 5 of these muscles–and more!
For tutorials on how to massage these muscles, click below:
Why is massage important for SI pain, you ask?
Massaging the muscles before you strengthen them is the way to go.
In fact, we teach a 4-step process to healing from muscle-caused back pain:
1) Massage
2) Stretch
3) Strengthen
4) Habit Correction
When you massage the 5 muscles we’ve been talking about, you help them relax and lengthen. So, later, when you strengthen them with SI joint pain relief exercises, they’re not taut and hard to work.
SI strength exercises ultimately help strengthen these muscles against future injury.
Hear what people have to say about the QL Claw below.
Check out more about the QL Claw below:
SI Joint Pain Exercises to Avoid
By now, you know–muscle by muscle–which SI joint exercises are the most effective!
So, let’s talk about which SI joint pain exercises to avoid AKA, what not to do with sacroiliac pain?
Remember how the SI joint serves as a shock absorber? This means you’ll absolutely aggravate the joint with high-impact activities.
This includes activities like:
→ Running
→ Jogging
→ Sprinting
→ Jumping
→ Heavy weightlifting
→ Intense twisting
People often ask: Does walking strengthen the SI joint?
And the answer is yes, walking can strengthen the SI joint. And walking won’t hurt your SI joint the same way running will. However, if you have SI joint pain, I recommend being sure not to overdo it with walking.
Along the same lines, you want to make sure you don’t sit too much. In the article below, I talk about all the best tips for sitting with SI joint pain.
“10 Best Tips for How to Sit With SI Joint Pain”
Sacroiliac Joint Pain Exercises During Pregnancy
As I already mentioned, pregnancy is attributed as a major cause of SI joint pain–mostly due to the shifting that takes place around the pelvis during both pregnancy and labor.
In addition, your body produces a hormone called relaxin when you’re pregnant, which literally works to loosen the ligaments of the pelvis to prepare the way for a baby.
For the best SI joint pain exercises during pregnancy, refer to your physician for guidance.
SI Joint Pain vs. Sciatica & Piriformis Syndrome
Some people will often confuse SI joint pain with Piriformis syndrome or sciatica.
With all three of these conditions, you may experience:
→ Lower back, hip, or buttock pain
→ Pain radiating down one leg
→ Exaggerated discomfort when sitting or with lots of movement
Both sciatica and Piriformis syndrome are associated with a compressed nerve–the sciatic nerve, to be specific. Because of this, they are often associated with numbness, tingling, or even weakness in the leg or foot. This can be a differentiating factor when parsing out whether you’re dealing with sciatica and Piriformis syndrome or SI joint pain.
Most people with SI joint pain will have pain in their lower back, hips, and buttocks…without the numbness or tingling. The pain tends to stay more localized and is often aggravated by standing, walking uphill, or twisting motions.
SI Joint Exercises FAQs
What is the best exercise for an SI joint?
There are many great SI joint exercises, and it’s best practice to try many since there are multiple muscles that could be negatively impacting this joint. Including exercises for all 5 muscles, as we discuss in this article, is crucial!
How do you release a tight SI joint?
The SI joint is famous for popping with certain stretches. For a good SI release, try stretching the joint.
Does walking strengthen the SI joint?
Yes, walking can strengthen your SI joint, and it strengthens your glutes and hip flexors when you walk.
How do I stop my SI joint from hurting?
It can help to massage the muscles surrounding the SI joint, as we discuss in this article.
What not to do with sacroiliac joint pain?
If you’re suffering from SI joint pain, avoid heavy lifting and high-impact movements, such as running and sprinting.
What can be mistaken for SI joint dysfunction?
Sciatica and piriformis syndrome can often be confused with SI joint dysfunction.
Sources:
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0268003305002135
[2] https://www.painphysicianjournal.com/current/pdf?article=MTM3&journal=15