Expert: Dr. Nekessa Remy - 12/7/2009

Question
QUESTION: I am a thirty year old, healthy individual with no kids.  At the end of August, I had my first chiropractic adjustment of my left SI joint.  Since then, I have experienced referred nerve-like pain down my leg as well as a lot of discomfort when lying flat on my back.  I feel like I am lying on a tender bone around my sacrum.  I have been to a chiropractor since the bad adjustment and have had 6 other SI joint adjustments.  Some things have improved . . . it easier to sit, stand and walk, but the leg symptoms and lying flat symptoms are still there.  My chiropractor suggested that I give the joint some time, as he does not want to keep irritating it.  I was wondering, do those symptoms eventually go away?  Is there anything I can do to speed up the healing process?

ANSWER: I would recommend that you concentrate building your core strength. This will improve your pelvic stability thus reducing the amount of pressure being placed on your SI joint. The symptoms into you leg due to "referred pain". The pain may be coming from your SI joint itself or from some of the muscles in the gluteal region. Therefore I would also recommend that you stretch out our gluteal region as well.


Best of Luck

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: In your experience, with proper core strengthening and stretching, can people heal from injured SI joints. Also, my pelvis seems to by symmetrical when I am lying flat on my back, but once I stand, the right side of my pelvis tips forward a little in comparison with the left side.  Is that something I should worry about?  Typically, what is the healing time on an SI joint injury?  Thanks again for all of your time.  

Answer
At this point I wouldn't worry about your asymmetry right now. I would focus on strengthening and whether or not this aids with your symptoms. I can not give you a definite prognosis without having examining you myself. Typically, you should notice improvement with treatment within the first couple of weeks.