How Do You Sit with Sacroiliac Joint Pain?
Sitting with sacroiliac joint pain can be a troubling physical experience to overcome.
SI joint pain can be a burden if you sit for a long time each day. The pain from sacroiliac joint pain can be felt in the lower back, buttocks, thigh and leg.
Sacroiliac joints are on both sides of your pelvis and connect the lower part of the spine to the pelvis. A system of ligaments surrounds and stabilizes the sacroiliac joint in the pelvis area.
What Causes Sacroiliac Joint Pain?
Sacroiliac joint pain is caused by arthritis, severe injury, pregnancy, inflammation, or an infection.
Other potential causes are spinal scoliosis, leg length disparity, or lumbar spine fusion. In some cases, no clear cause can be identified for a person having sacroiliac pain.
How to Sit in a Chair with SI Joint Pain?
Sitting in a chair while having sacroiliac joint pain can cause an overabundance of stress in the pelvic area.
Try to keep your hips level with one another and not lean over to one side or the other when sitting. Positioning one pelvis side higher than the other can cause further irritation when sitting.
To sit with good posture while in a chair:
- Sit with your chest tilted up and your shoulder blades relaxed.
- Keep your knees apart from one another.
- Keep your sitting bones level with one another while sitting in the chair.
- Use cushion support on your lower back if the chair is not supporting your lower back properly.
Sit with Good Posture
Sitting with a good posture is very important in helping ease the pain from sacroiliac joint pain.
Make sure your head is level and not tilted downward or upward.
Allow the pelvis to be in a balanced position that is not leaning to one particular side. Avoid sitting with the wallet in your back pocket because it may cause you to sit unevenly.
Breathe into the center of your chest and lift the center of your chest with each inhale.
Sit with Pelvis Support
A couple of different support mechanisms can be worn to relieve sacroiliac joint pain.
Use a lumbar pillow or use a seat that has built-in lumbar support to help align your pelvis better when you sit. A lumbar pillow can help reduce pressure and relieve pain. Using a SI brace can help support the sacroiliac joints and relieve pressure points.
Sit with Your Knees Lower than Your Hips
Sitting with your knees lower than your hips can create more length for your hip flexors making them more flexible. It can cause the hip flexors to better relax and reduce strain.
Sitting with a seat cushion, raising the seat higher, or tucking your feet underneath the chair can help stretch your legs out more.
Sitting Cross-Legged Can Relieve Pain
Sitting on the floor with your legs in the tailor position can open the hips and provide pain relief. The tailor position can be done while sitting on the floor, couch, or a bed.
Ensure your heels and ankles are as close to your body as possible.
Be balanced when you sit and ensure your body's weight is even on your sit bones and tilted to one side.
Try to relax as much as possible and take deep breaths.
Take Frequent Breaks From Sitting
Sitting for a long duration puts more stress on the hip flexors to work hard. Moving around often allows the hip flexors to relax and stretch out because sitting for a long duration can cause the hip flexors to be tight and fatigued, which can cause further pain.
Moving away from your desk or couch every hour or 30 minutes helps keep the blood flowing in the muscles near the hip flexor.
What Stretches Can You Do to Ease SI Pain Before Sitting?
Stretch and relax your hip flexors to ease the tightness in the area. Relieving the hip flexors may help you better sit in an upright posture. Hip flexor stretches can help release tension in the area and reduce the stress placed on sacroiliac joints when sitting.
The following stretches are recommended to ease joint pain.
Hip flexor stretches: A hip flexor stretch consists of kneeling on one leg and bending one leg out in front of you while keeping the foot of the bending leg flat on the floor. Keep your back straight and push your hips forward to bend your back leg. Do this for 15 to 30 seconds.
Figure 4 stretch: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Take one of your legs and place your ankle on the knee of the other leg. Take your bend knee and bring it toward your chest. Use your arms to hold on to the crossed leg to stretch your hip flexor better.
Can You Overcome Pain Using a Standing Desk?
A standing desk is beneficial for those who want to rotate between sitting and standing.
Sitting all day, every day, may cause setbacks in trying to overcome sacroiliac joint pain. A standing desk converter may be the best option to prevent further pain from sitting.
What Medication Can Be Used to Treat Sacroiliitis Joint Pain?
Over-the-counter medicine: Take any over-the-counter pain relief with ibuprofen, such as Advil and Motrin IB. Acetaminophen such as Tylenol works as well.
Rest: Proper posture is essential while sitting because improper posture can worsen the sacroiliitis joints. Avoid physical activities that make the pain worse.
Apply ice and heat: Switching between heat and ice may help temporarily relieve sacroiliac pain.