Anybody who has had back pain, hip or groin pain before will know how frustrating this type of injury can be to shift. Apart from the frustration of re-occurrence if the underlying cause is not found and resolved, there is a stack of other injuries that are likely to follow if intelligent changes are not made. This article is intended to show you our most effective rehabilitation and injury prevention methods (injury tests, best stretches and exercises) that we have used successfully with many clients (see testimonials) for over 15 years working as Rehabilitation specialists in Melbourne. Our goal is to address the whole problem of your pain or injury, looking closely for the source of the problem so we can help you attain long term balance and optimal function. The hip joint, along with the ankles, is a joint we find where most of the troubles originate. It is also often missed in diagnosis of injury, as it may not present with pain, instead it will show stiffness and a lack of mobility. The hips are designed to be very mobile, having to withstand both direct loading stresses and large rotational forces with weight-bearing activities. It is especially vulnerable to injury in sports that involve pivoting or twisting movements, such as soccer, football, tennis and golf. Because the muscles around the hip joint attach directly on to the joint capsule, they have a large influence on the range of movement. And why we need explosive rotation in sports and even in some daily activities, these forces place tremendous strain on your ligaments, tendons and muscular structures designed to protect the joint. The failure to adequately control these forces can lead to chronic pain and a lifetime of restricted movement!
Exercise Strategies to Correct Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction & Lower Back Pain
If there is one thing I have learned in my 16 years as a trainer it is to never assume people are the same and always use assessments and tests to guide you when designing an exercise program. When it comes to back pain this is very important to remember, for it is very easy to fall into the trap of assuming all these injuries are the same and using exercises that actually exacerbate their injury instead of correcting it. Most of the lower back pain cases I see are what we classify as “flexion related” that usually end up as bulging discs or sciatica type injuries. The lesser known and not as common lower back injuries are the “extension related” cases and this is where we come across the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) problems. What we must understand is that the exercises that may work perfectly with the bulging disc injury may make things worse for the person with SIJ problems. In this article I am going to share with you some of the key things to understand about working with this type of problem and how you can correct it with specific exercise strategies.