Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Dysfunction

Common Symptoms

• One-sided pain near the dimple of the low back, buttock, or upper hip
• Discomfort with transitions, such as standing up, rolling over, or getting in and out of a car
• Pain with single-leg loading, stair climbing, or prolonged standing
• Aching that may refer into the groin or back of the thigh
• Symptoms that vary with posture and activity

What May Contribute

SI joint symptoms are typically driven by how load is being shared between the pelvis, spine, and hips.

• Sudden change in activity, training, or standing time
• Reduced hip or trunk strength relative to demand
• Pregnancy or postpartum changes in pelvic loading
• Asymmetric postures or repetitive single-leg loading
• Prior episode of low back or pelvic pain

How Form and Function Approaches This

SI joint pain often responds quickly to specific position, movement, and loading strategies. We work to identify what unloads your symptoms, then rebuild capacity around the pelvis.

• A thorough mechanical and functional assessment to identify what is driving symptoms
• A care plan that may combine hands-on care, movement, education, and recovery strategies based on your presentation
• Clear reasoning at each step, so you understand what we are doing and why
• Coordination with medical providers when imaging, medication, or specialist input would be helpful

Read more about our overall approach to care.

Treatment Options May Include

• Clear education that the SI joint is robust and rarely 'out of place'
• Movement and position strategies that reduce SI loading
• Progressive strength work for the hips, glutes, and trunk
• Manual therapy for the SI joint and surrounding hip and lumbar tissue
• Short-term modification of single-leg loading during higher-symptom periods
• Coordination with a physician for diagnostic or therapeutic SI joint injection when warranted

How This Condition Is Commonly Diagnosed

Diagnosis is clinical and built from history and a cluster of provocation tests.

• History of symptom location, transitions that aggravate, and what eases
• Provocation testing of the sacroiliac joint
• Hip and lumbar examination to rule out other contributors
• Imaging used selectively, since SI joint findings on imaging rarely change first-line care

Expected Recovery and Prognosis

Most SI joint flares improve within a few weeks of a targeted plan, especially when daily loading patterns are adjusted alongside the rehab work.

Long-term comfort tends to come from sustained strength and capacity around the hips and trunk, particularly for those whose work or sport involves repeated single-leg loading.

Related Conditions

• Mechanical Spinal Pain
• Pregnancy-Related Pain
• Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Related Services

• Chiropractic Care
• Movement-Based Rehabilitation
• Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT)

When Symptoms May Require Emergency Medical Evaluation

• Sudden or progressive weakness
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Numbness in the groin or saddle region
• Fever, chills, or unexplained weight loss
• Severe trauma or suspected fracture
• Persistent night pain or rapidly worsening symptoms
• Shortness of breath, chest pain, or other non-musculoskeletal symptoms
• Symptoms that are severe, spreading, or not improving as expected

These symptoms are uncommon, but they can indicate conditions that may require urgent medical evaluation. If you are unsure whether your symptoms fit this category, Form and Function can help guide appropriate next steps or referrals when needed.

Frequently Asked Questions