Sacroiliac Joint Pain Relief Techniques

The sacroiliac (SI) joints sit at the base of your spine, where your spine meets your pelvis. These small but powerful joints act like shock absorbers, transferring weight from your upper body down into your hips and legs every time you stand, walk, or climb stairs. When they’re working well, you don’t notice them at all. When they’re irritated or unstable, they can become a hidden source of persistent lower back, hip, or buttock pain.

SI joint dysfunction is more common than many people realize. It can show up as a deep ache on one side of the lower back, a sharp catch in the hip or buttock, or pain that flares when you stand up, roll over in bed, or walk for too long. For some people, it’s mistaken for a lumbar spine issue or even a hip problem, which can delay the right treatment.

At Medici Orthopaedics & Spine, we focus on personalized, minimally invasive care to help relieve sacroiliac joint pain while protecting your long-term mobility. The goal is simple: reduce pain, restore stability, and help you move with more confidence—using the least invasive, least drug-dependent options appropriate for your situation.

At-Home Sacroiliac Joint Pain Relief Techniques

Activity Modification

Small changes in daily habits can reduce strain on the SI joint and allow irritated tissues to calm down.

Avoiding prolonged sitting or heavy lifting

• Take regular standing and walking breaks if you sit for work
• Avoid slumped or twisted sitting positions
• Be cautious with repetitive bending, lifting, or twisting
• Use proper lifting mechanics: bend at the hips and knees, keep objects close to your body, avoid twisting while lifting

Proper posture and ergonomics

• Keep your ears, shoulders, and hips roughly aligned when standing
• Use a supportive chair that allows your hips and knees to be level or slightly below hip level
• Adjust your workstations (desk, car seat, etc.) to avoid leaning or rotating to one side

Cold and Heat Therapy

Cold and heat can both be useful tools, depending on what your body needs.

When to use ice vs. heat

• Ice (cold packs):
  
  • Helpful in the early stages of pain or after a flare-up
  • Can reduce inflammation and numb sore areas
• Heat (warm packs or baths):
  
  • Useful for chronic stiffness and muscle tightness around the SI joint
  • Encourages blood flow and relaxation of tight muscles

Safe application recommendations

• Always wrap ice or heat sources in a thin towel to protect your skin
• Apply for about 15–20 minutes at a time
• Check your skin regularly to avoid burns or frostbite
• Avoid lying directly on very hard or very hot surfaces

Gentle Stretching

Targeted stretching can ease tension in muscles that pull on the SI joint and pelvis. These should be pain-free and controlled, not forced.

Hip flexor stretches

• Tight hip flexors can tilt the pelvis forward and increase stress on the SI joint
• Gentle lunging-type stretches (with support if needed) can help open the front of the hip

Piriformis stretch

• The piriformis muscle runs from the sacrum to the hip and can become tight with SI joint dysfunction
• Stretching this area can:
  
  • Reduce pressure around the SI joint
  • Decrease buttock and hip discomfort

Lower-back rotational movements

• Gentle, controlled trunk rotations or “windshield wiper” movements of the knees can:
  
  • Loosen stiff lower-back muscles
  • Promote comfortable mobility without forcing the SI joint

Strengthening Exercises

Strength and stability around the pelvis are essential for long-term SI joint relief. The goal is to build a supportive “corset” of muscle around your spine and pelvis.

Core stability work

• Focus on deep abdominal and back muscles, not just traditional sit-ups
• Gentle core exercises can:
  
  • Improve spinal support
  • Reduce excessive movement at the SI joint

Glute and pelvic floor strengthening

• Strong glute muscles (buttocks) support the pelvis and improve hip mechanics
• The pelvic floor works with the deep core to stabilize the pelvis from below
• Targeted exercises, often guided by physical therapy, can:
  
  • Improve balance
  • Enhance pelvic control
  • Decrease stress on the SI joint

SI Joint Belts and Supports

External support can sometimes give the SI joint the extra stability it needs while surrounding tissues heal.

How external stabilization can reduce pain

SI joint belts or supports are worn low around the pelvis, just above the hips. They:

• Gently compress the SI joints
• Limit excessive micro-movements that trigger pain
• Provide a sense of stability with walking, standing, or transitioning positions

When bracing is useful

• During pregnancy or postpartum, when ligaments are more flexible
• In the early stages of treatment, when the joint is irritated and unstable
• During activities that typically flare pain (e.g., long walks, errands, certain work tasks)

Interventional Pain Relief Techniques at Medici Orthopaedics & Spine

For many people, conservative care such as activity changes, stretching, and physical therapy is enough to calm sacroiliac joint pain. When symptoms persist or keep flaring, Medici Orthopaedics & Spine offers targeted, minimally invasive procedures designed to reduce pain, calm inflammation, and restore function—without jumping straight to major surgery.

Targeted SI Joint Injections

Anti-inflammatory benefits

Targeted SI joint injections deliver anti-inflammatory medication—usually a corticosteroid—directly into the sacroiliac joint. By placing the medication exactly where the irritation is coming from, injections can:

• Reduce inflammation in and around the joint
• Decrease pain and stiffness
• Make it easier to participate in physical therapy and daily activities

Diagnostic and therapeutic use

SI joint injections serve a dual purpose:

• Diagnostic: When a numbing medication is injected into the SI joint, a significant short-term reduction in pain helps confirm that the joint is the primary source of the symptoms.
• Therapeutic: The accompanying steroid medicine provides longer-lasting relief by calming inflammation within the joint.

What patients can expect during the procedure

• The skin over the SI joint is cleaned and numbed.
• Using real-time imaging guidance (such as fluoroscopy), a thin needle is gently advanced into the joint space.
• A small amount of contrast dye may be used to confirm correct needle placement.
• The numbing medication and anti-inflammatory steroid are then injected.

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)

How RFA interrupts pain signals

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat generated by radiofrequency energy to gently disrupt the small nerve fibers that carry pain signals from the SI joint to the brain. Importantly, it does not damage the joint itself. By “turning down the volume” on these pain pathways, RFA can significantly reduce chronic SI joint pain.

Duration of relief

The relief from RFA can last:

• Several months
• Up to a year or longer for some patients

Over time, the nerves can regenerate, but many people experience a meaningful window of improved comfort and increased function. RFA can sometimes be repeated if pain returns and you’re still a good candidate.

Ideal candidates

RFA may be considered if you:

• Have clearly documented SI joint pain
• Experienced significant but temporary relief from diagnostic nerve blocks or SI joint injections
• Continue to have pain that interferes with daily activities despite conservative care

Prolotherapy & Regenerative Medicine Options

How regenerative therapies support ligament healing

Prolotherapy and other regenerative medicine techniques aim to stimulate your body’s own healing response. In the context of SI joint problems, these injections are often targeted at the ligaments that support the joint. The goal is to:

• Encourage tissue repair
• Improve ligament strength and stability
• Reduce excessive motion that contributes to pain

Benefits for chronic instability

Patients with chronic SI joint instability may benefit from these therapies because they:

• Focus on the root issue—weak or overstretched ligaments
• Aim to create longer-term stability rather than temporary relief
• Can complement strengthening and stabilization exercises in physical therapy

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

Role in enhancing tissue recovery

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing concentrated oxygen in a pressurized chamber. This increases the amount of oxygen dissolved in your blood, which can:

• Support tissue healing and repair
• Enhance recovery in ligaments, muscles, and other soft tissues
• Reduce inflammation in certain conditions

Synergistic use with other therapies

At Medici Orthopaedics & Spine, HBOT may be used as part of a comprehensive plan alongside:

• Regenerative injections
• Physical therapy
• Other interventional techniques

Begin Your Path to Lasting Sacroiliac Joint Pain Relief

Living with sacroiliac (SI) joint pain doesn’t have to be your everyday reality. At Medici Orthopaedics & Spine, Dr. Sonny Dosanjh and our dedicated team take a thoughtful, patient-first approach to restoring your comfort and mobility. Every treatment plan is designed to be as effective, safe, and minimally invasive as possible—helping you move with less pain and more confidence.

If your SI joint pain is limiting how you work, move, or enjoy time with the people you love, you don’t have to push through it alone. We’re here to listen, evaluate what’s really going on, and walk you through a personalized plan that fits your life and your goals.

Contact Medici Orthopaedics & Spine Today

📞 Main Line: +1-844-328-4624
🌐 Website: https://www.mediciortho.com/

Clinic Locations

• Kennesaw Clinic
  2911 George Busbee Parkway, Suite 50
  Kennesaw, GA 30144
  (770) 545-6404
• Snellville Clinic
  2220 Wisteria Drive, Unit 101
  Snellville, GA 30078
  (470) 645-9297
• Buckhead PM&R
  3200 Downwood Circle NW, Suite 520
  Atlanta, GA 30327
  (770) 872-7549

Ambulatory Surgery Centers

• Marietta ASC
  792 Church Street, Unit 101
  Marietta, GA 30060
  (470) 795-8398
• Snellville ASC
  2220 Wisteria Dr, Unit 100
  Snellville, GA 30078
  (470) 795-8398

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