Pelvis Pain?
Do you feel pain on either side of your pelvis? The kind of discomfort that radiates squarely on the sacrum? If so, you could be suffering from sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction. Pain in this area can spell trouble because it serves as a crossroad for the transfer of weight from the upper to lower body and legs. If left untreated, one problem can lead to many as the surrounding muscles suffer imbalances.
How do you get better?
Introducing the pt Health SI Dysfunction Rehab program where you’ll learn how to stretch those joints, and recruit core muscles for stability.
The pt Health SI Joint Treatment Program
- Does not involve medication or painkillers.
- Actively involves you in your own recovery.
- Is paid for by most extended health plans.
- Starts quickly with next day appointment availability at many of our locations.
At pt Health, we offer preventive and rehabilitative care for SI Joint Dysfunction along with post-operative conditioning that takes into account your condition, injury, post-surgical status, risk factors, lifestyle, and work function.
Our therapists understand how debilitating an SI dysfunction injury can be and will collaborative with you on a recovery plan, so you get better quickly, safely, and efficiently.
SI Joint Pain Symptoms
- Sharp, stabbing, or even a dull ache in the lower back and buttocks that is short lived but ongoing and aggravating
- Referral pain can occur as it descends into the groin region, or less commonly the leg
- Difficulty walking up the stairs, changing position, rolling from bed, or standing up
SI Joint Pain Rehab
- Offers preventative strategies to help you manage lifestyle, work, and other risk factors
- Addresses the root cause of your SI joint injury as well as the symptoms
- Provides an effective treatment approach designed specifically to ease your SI joint pain
- Introduces stretches, strengthening exercises, and movements that you can do at home
Find a Clinic
Treatment Plan
Most likely you will be in some form of cast between five to eight weeks following an ankle fracture. Once the cast is removed however, physiotherapy becomes necessary in order to properly restore your range of motion, gait pattern, and overall strength. The pt Health Ankle Fracture Recovery Program addresses these needs in a three phase process. Take a look at how we do it.
Assess Your Condition
During your initial assessment at pt Health, your physiotherapist will evaluate your ankle bone position, walking pattern, range of motion, strength, and joint mobility. If pain and swelling are a concern you may also receive ultrasound therapy as long as there are no surgical pins/screws. Additional modalities can include IFC, ice, and heat. Plus, if you have had surgery for your ankle fracture, hands-on manipulation will be used to minimize scar tissue.
Strengthening Exercise
In order to foster healing your therapist will want to get your ankle bones moving in the right direction while applying proper stress. To achieve this goal, your physiotherapist will want to restore your walking pattern right away. But don’t worry; typically a walking aid is required to achieve this initial balance.
And while its your ankle that has suffered a fracture, expect your physiotherapist to have you work on strengthening the knee and hip as well so your assistive walking muscles have a chance to recuperate too.
Fractured Ankle Recovery Time
Initially it’s best to see your physiotherapist for treatment often. For some patients this could be three to five times a week. As you become stronger, visits will become less, until eventually you are ready to return to your normal activities. Overall, rehab for a post ankle fracture could take between 12 to 18 weeks.
Michael’s story
A High School Basketball Player Seeks Help for his SI Joint Dysfunction
Michael’s lower back pain started long ago while playing basketball. Jump shots and landing on his feet forcefully were all part of the game, but also played a role in his diagnosis of SI Dysfunction. “I could not remember a day without having lower back pain,” said Michael. “Most of the time it would start right where my tailbone is, and travel into my hips and groin.”
The Pain Starts the Moment He Gets out of Bed
Michael often described his pain as a sharp, achy feeling from the moment he got out of bed to walking down the stairs. “Standing up and stretching would help, but then the pain would start back up again when I got to school.” Afterward, when Michael went to basketball practice, the pain would intensify and ultimately affected his game. Hopeful for a scholarship, this was not good news for Michael.
“My mom finally got me to go to physiotherapy. When I got there, Darren, my physiotherapist, had me walk across the room, stand in front of him, and pinpoint the location of my pain. He also did some other tests that paid attention to my sacroiliac joints, as he called them.”
“Michael had stiffness in the joints, most likely as a result of landing hard on the basketball court. The goal was to loosen the surrounding muscles with manipulation while also working on his core strength,” Darren said.
Dedicated to his Recovery
Michael’s recovery took time and dedication on his part as he struggled to stay with the treatment program. “Darren gave me exercises to do at home, and I’ll admit I did not always make time for them. However, I was also feeling better, so I felt like I could get away with not doing them,” Michael said.
“Not sticking with the program is a common problem among patients. It is also why SI Dysfunction can hang around for so long,” said Darren. “I tell my patients all the time that their condition will not heal on it’s own. They need manual manipulation to lengthen the muscles, and stability training if they have looseness.”
“Of course he was right,” Michael said. Now it has been almost four months, but Michael is finally able to prove himself on the basketball court again. In the fall, he will be playing at a small college studying, but also playing basketball too.
Call us today and discover how the SI Joint Dysfunction Rehab Program can help you feel better sooner than you think! 1 (877) 650-9416
What is SI Joint Dysfunction?
SI dysfunction is due to muscular imbalances surrounding the sacroiliac joints on either side of the pelvis. When the muscles are not being optimized, the result is an imbalance and irritation of the SI joint or joints. Oftentimes, SI dysfunction can be related to pregnancy as hormones cause a loosening of the joints to occur. Following pregnancy, women can experience hypermobility as the ligaments stretch and cannot return to their starting point.
Improper movements have a lasting effect on your joints!
SI Dysfunction Causes
In addition to pregnancy, when the SI joint is hypo-mobile or stiff, the cause is often due to improper actions that have a lasting effect on the joints. How you bend, lift, and hunch over the computer, for example, can put permanent stress on the lower back and SI joints.
Other causes for the sacroiliac joint problems include degenerative disease or history of trauma. For example, if you have ever been on roller blades you know what it feels like to compress or jam up the joint when you land on your backside.
SI Dysfunction Symptoms
Pain with SI Dysfunction feels like sharp, stabbing, or even a dull ache in the lower back and buttocks that is short lived but ongoing and aggravating. Referral pain can also occur as it descends into the groin region, or less commonly the leg. It is also common for patients have difficulty walking up the stairs, changing position, rolling from bed, or standing up.
Call us today and discover how the SI Joint Dysfunction Rehab Program can help you feel better sooner than you think! 1 (888) 707-4410
Coverage Options
At pt Health, we know that sorting out insurance paperwork can be time-consuming and confusing. We want your focus to be on getting well and staying well. With that in mind, we do our best to help you navigate through the necessary forms. We speak with your insurance providers and we’ll answer any questions you may have about your coverage.
- RCMP
- DND
- Canadian Forces
- Veterans Affairs
For any treatments that are only partially covered, you may be asked to co-pay the difference at each visit.