SI Joint Pain During Pregnancy: You Don’t Have to Be In Pain
Pregnant and feeling a sharp ache in your lower back, near your tailbone, or on one side of your pelvis when walking or rolling in bed? It might be sacroiliac (SI) joint pain. SI joint pain is a common source of pregnancy related aches and pains, but can be addressed with pelvic floor physical therapy.
What Is the SI Joint?
The sacroiliac joint is where your hips meet your sacrum (the triangular shaped bones at the bottom of your spine, one on each side). These bones are connected by ligaments and provide spinal and pelvic stability. (INSERT PICTURE OF SIJ HERE). The SI joint works to absorb shock for the spine and transfer load between the spine and the lower body.
Why SI Joint Pain Happens During Pregnancy
There are a few key reasons why you might experience SI joint pain in pregnancy:
Hormonal changes: Relaxin, which is produced in high quantities during pregnancy, softens your ligaments, can cause your joints to shift.
Postural changes: As your baby grows, your center of gravity shifts forward, placing more strain on your lower back and pelvis.
Muscle imbalances: The deep core and glute muscles that normally stabilize the SI joint can weaken or become overworked.
Previous injuries or asymmetries: If you’ve had hip, back, or pelvic pain before pregnancy, your body might compensate in ways that stress the SI joint even more.
How Do I Know If I Have SI Joint Pain?
Common symptoms of SI joint pain include:
Sharp pain or an ache on one side of your lower back
Pain that radiates into your glute muscles
Pain that worsens when standing, walking, or climbing stairs
Discomfort when rolling over in bed or getting up from sitting
A feeling of instability or clicking in the pelvis
Pain that may radiate slightly down the leg (often mistaken for sciatica)
How Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Helps
Pelvic floor physical therapy can address SI joint pain in pregnancy and help alleviate symptoms and work toward fixing the root issue. At Cappuccino Physical Therapy, we take a whole body approach. During your session, we’ll look at how your spine, pelvis, and surrounding muscles are working together to get to the root cause of your SI joint pain.
Here’s how pelvic floor PT can help relieve SI joint pain:
Comprehensive assessment: We evaluate your posture, joint mobility, pelvic alignment, and muscle balance.
Manual therapy: Gentle hands-on techniques to release tension and pain.
Targeted strengthening: We’ll retrain your glutes, deep core, and pelvic floor muscles to provide more joint stability.
Movement retraining: Learn modifications to movement to help decrease pain (like getting out of bed, picking up your toddler, or exercising).
Personalized home program: You’ll get simple, effective exercises to keep pain away between sessions.
Other Tips to Ease SI Joint Pain
While pelvic PT offers the most personalized care, these small daily adjustments can make a big difference:
Use a support belt such as the Serola belt. This is a personal favorite of Dr. Rachael–she used this during both of her pregnancies in which she experienced SIJ pain.
Sleep with a pillow between your knees or under your belly to reduce strain.
Limit asymmetrical movements when exercising, such as single leg lunges or deadlifts
Stay active with gentle movement — walking, prenatal yoga, or light strength training.
Consistency and awareness are key — small changes add up to less pain and more mobility.
When to Seek Help
Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to wait until the baby is born to get relief from SIJ pain. Pelvic floor physical therapy can help with pain relief DURING pregnancy. Reach out to a pelvic floor physical therapist as soon as you start feeling pain or discomfort, but especially if:
Pain interferes with sleep or daily activities
Pain worsens over time or radiates down the leg
You feel clicking or instability in your pelvis
You want to prepare your body for an easier, more comfortable birth
Early intervention can make a world of difference in how you feel for the rest of your pregnancy — and set you up for smoother postpartum recovery.
You Don’t Have to Be in Pain
If you are experiencing any kind of pregnancy related aches and pains such as SI joint pain, reach out to our team at Cappuccino Physical Therapy .
The best time is now, before excessive discomfort sets in. A pelvic floor physical therapist can help you feel more confident, comfortable, and connected to your body as it changes.
We'd love to help you at Cappuccino Physical Therapy. We offer pelvic floor PT during pregnancy as well as the postpartum period and proudly serve the Conejo Valley.
👉 Call us today to schedule your evaluation — you deserve to feel your best, at every stage of pregnancy.
