k07 said...
Astroman - I’ve been meaning to thank you. You posted awhile back about si joint. I’m not even sure what the post was about but it spurred me to search online for exercises. I’ve been doing bridges, reverse pressure on knees, squeezing ball, etc and have noticed a big reduction in pain. I must have a tendency to get out of alignment with these joints. My mri’s did show erosion on both. It was incredibly uplifting to have something so simple help more than NSAID’s!
Wow. Thats awesome to hear your getting some pain relief from very specific exercise! It take a while but sounds like your on the right track.
We all get cartilage erosion with age, unless its rubbing on a nerve or the cartilage is GONE, its usually not as big of a deal that it sounds like. The PRESSURE in joints from unbalance is often more responsible for the pain.
I still do some of those bridges every now and then , just to keep in practice. Its good that I no longer have to though.
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Some of my related mental notes not in very good order for LOW BACK and SI health :
Once you get more stable and stronger, you can use those wrist and ankle wrap/weights for bridges facing down and on your back doing "bicycle pedaling" in the air - 2lb weight on your ankles is a huge difference. and helps to have arms back holding on or under some furniture.
"Side on the floor" leg lifts also befit greatly from added "wrap weights" on the knee or foot - further you slide it, the heavier it gets. I use a ankle weight to hold my five lb head wrap weight on my foot while doing these.
Best way to gauge inner thigh tension/ Left /Right balance is on your back doing the butterfly. This should be balanced for SI alignment, often with SI pain, its favored to one side.
A healthy, aligned and strong SI joint makes most other movements easier, its make life better.
I used to do some of these on one of those big, light exercise balls, be for-warned- the ball can slide out adding to injury (how ironic, did that on my tail bone ONCE). Best used on grippy fitness matting and with tighter fitting cloths that wont allow you to slide off.
The SI is the "core of your core" and muscles attached to the hip area affect it: / glutes / abductor and adductor / low back muscles, TFL, even upper quad and hasmstrings. (trigger-pointing the TFL with a golf ball or smaller and deeper tool can put a surprise on ones face as it can be very tight).
The best defense weak muscle has is to tighten up, but that builds and spreads making pain and discomfort in other areas. Often trying to stretch a tight muscle will just pull whatever else its connected to. This is why releasing tight muscle is often beneficial before strengthening them and needed in order to actually stretch. This makes the muscle more
open and porous to accept new nutrients flowing during the contracting / strengthening process. Releasing via small local pressure is different from stretching. This can be confusing to newbies, but after a while it becomes obvious as to what your problem areas need and respond too.
Ive also mentioned releasing the abb muscles while slowly relaxing on a low psi inflated 3-4" fitness or kids top inflatable ball. You can unknowingly have tight abb muscles and be far far away from having a "six pack" because weak muscle often tighten up. Tight abb muscles can pull on the lower back and the SI as well.
As far as abbs go: Doing the "bicycle" on your back helps the lower abbs and is usually painless to do vs crunches (yuck). Another easier way for crunches is sitting on a low inflated 2-2.5 ft tall fitness ball bracing it against a wall. Advanced abbs are usually best done with leg weights while hanging on / using one of those vertical benches where you support the lower body with your bent arms - that gyms have. I might make one from wood, a little foam (for low back) and carpet scraps.
Once one starts to understand this its good to know and learn for the rest of your life, it comes in very handy.