If you’re experiencing sharp, one-sided low back pain that is triggered by standing on one leg or climbing stairs, it may be your sacroiliac joint acting up.
This type of pain often makes it difficult to walk or put weight through one leg. You may even feel stuck in one position, unsure how to move without aggravating it.
What to Avoid
Sacroiliac joint irritation is often triggered by repetitive postures or activities that create uneven loading through the pelvis, common causes include:
- A fall where you land predominantly on one side of your buttock or hip.
- Sleeping on one side or in a twisted leg position can aggravate sacroiliac joint issues.
- Stairmasters or elliptical cross trainers in the gym, as the unnatural movement patterns may stress the joints in your pelvis.
- Avoid prolonged driving with one leg extended, as this reaching position can “throw” your pelvis out.
- Don’t sit in twisted positions — such as sitting on one foot or crossing your legs.
These positions often place uneven stress on the pelvis and may cause the muscles around your pelvis to lockup tight more ongoingly. This ongoing tension may lead to your body not being able to sense its pelvic joint alignment properly cause it to “locked up” in a dysfunctional posture or slow your recovery from a pre-existing problem.
At-Home Relief
To help calm the area and restore movement, start by gently loosening the muscles around the pelvis:
- Foam rolling your glutes, piriformis, hips and thighs
- Gentle glute stretches
- Gentle hip twist to open the pelvis
- QL stretches
- Weighted hip flexor stretches
- Weighted adductor and hamstring stretches
These exercises are designed to reduce tension, improve mobility, and help your pelvis move more evenly again.
Check out the YouTube clips below for step-by-step demonstrations so you can start moving more comfortably again.