The Sacroilliac joint is a joint, which connects the hip and the spine. It is positioned on both the left and the right side of the body. During any kind of movement, the Sacroiliac Joint helps to distribute the body’s weight. This helps in providing stability for the upper body while acting as a shock absorber for the spine. Any damage to the Sacroiliac joint can adversely affect an individual’s mobility and balance.
Sacroiliac joint pain can demonstrate itself in various forms like lower back pain, pain in the spine and lower legs. Symptoms of the pain can worsen while sitting or standing in the same posture for a long time. It occasionally increases during certain activities like suddenly standing up, getting out of a car, etc. In this condition, it is important for a person to maintain a rightful posture while standing, sitting or lying. It should be in the correct alignment and many people use Sacroiliac belts in order to attain this alignment. Sacroiliac belts act as an elastic support which is worn around the hips and pelvis. It is a medical belt which is prescribed by doctors for those patients who suffer from back pain and spine related issues.
Aims of the Sacroiliac belts:
- Reduce Pain
- Reduce inflammation at the Sacroiliac Joint
- Help to regain normal posture
- Increase independent functional mobility
The Sacroiliac belts help to decrease stress on the joint. It thus helps in promoting alignment of the pelvis and as a result helps to re-establish the natural movements of the joints. The belts have an artificial locking technique through the compression of the surfaces of the joints. The use of this helps to reduce laxity of the sacroiliac joints and helps to improve stability. The surfaces of the sacroiliac joints are pressed together, which increases friction and reduces shearing forces.
How to wear the Sacroiliac Belt:
The Sacroiliac belts essentially have an adjustable fastener on it, which helps to ensure that the belt is not too loose. If it is not tight enough it will not stabilize the Sacroiliac joint as it is designed to.
The belt should be essentially worn around the hips and pelvis and not around the back: In order to establish if Sacroiliac belts are going to heal you of your pain, it is important to wear it throughout the day. Inconsistent use of the belt will not bear any result. It is always better to consult an appropriate health care professional to ensure that you know the proper use of the belt. Wearing a Sacroiliac belt can offer many benefits including reducing pain and supporting posture. However, the relief achieved from this can vary from person to person.
A Simple Test to Find Out if the Belt would Work for You: This can be tried out while lying on your back. Since Sacroiliac belts compress the pelvis, you can try to mimic this action with a set of hands. If you ask someone to do this for you, it will be better than attempting it yourself. You need to lay with your legs straight out. Then try to lift your leg up from the floor in a controlled speed. While doing this try to assess how it feels, both in terms of muscle strength, coordination, and pain levels. Test both the sides in this way. Next, you need to just ask someone to gently compress your pelvic bones inward, toward your midline, and hold it in place. If there is an improvement, then it means you will receive benefit from the belt.
How tight does the belt need to be?
More emphasis should be laid on the position of the belt and not on how tightly it needs to be worn. So, if you are suffering from the issue of sacroiliac joint you can use this belt under the expert guidance of a doctor.