Sacral Iliac Joint Hypermobile

Many questions about Yin Yoga and specific spinal conditions addressed here.
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Claudia
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu May 23, 2019 7:52 pm

Sacral Iliac Joint Hypermobile

Post by Claudia »

Hi Bernie,
For years I have been troubled by sciatic pain after doing yin yoga sessions. Usually it came later on not while practising.
Nerve pain shooting down my right leg. Never the same area...everchanging.

Eventhough I really like yin yoga, I come to believe that it is for somebody with a hypermobile s.i. joint not a good idea to practise twists ect. I am bendy enough after decades of yoga. I need muscles!

Your thoughts on that?

I stopped pretty much yin yoga. Your Wall Yin Yoga class on Yoga International feels very good though.

All the best, Claudia
Claudia
Bernie
Posts: 1254
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Re: Sacral Iliac Joint Hypermobile

Post by Bernie »

Hello Claudia

I am sorry to hear about your ongoing pain.

I would agree that if someone has a hypermobile sacroiliac joint, the priority should be to build stability there. Muscular exercises and even restraining belts can help. However, sciatica is usually not a symptom of SIJ instability. If you are suffering sciatica, you may want to see your health care provider to find out what might be causing it. (In this article, I describe a couple of the most common causes and some suggestions for treatments, with the caveat that I am not a doctor or a therapist.) Please try to determine the cause of your sciatica and then work on eliminating that cause.

SIJ instability can have somewhat similar symptoms as sciatica, but most commonly the symptoms of SIJ pathology are found more in the lower back, buttocks and pelvic regions and less in the legs (although referred pain can be felt the legs and feet).

Stretching of the hips is not recommended for SIJ hypermobility, but the other parts of your body may still benefit from stretching. You may still want to incorporate some yoga stretches (yin or yang) for these other areas while avoiding any work that may destabilize the SIJ. Symmetric postures like Sphinx and Seal may be okay, as may seated poses like Reclining Butterfly or seated Butterfly without any spinal flexion. Once you know the cause of your pain, you may be able to plan some flows that work for you.

Good luck
Bernie
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