When most people think about chiropractic care, they usually think of care that only focuses on the back and neck. While it is true that the majority of patients who come to see Dr. Nathen Horst will do so for back and neck pain, chiropractic adjustments can actually be performed on any joint (and the surrounding tendons and ligaments) in the body to relieve pain and stiffness.

Although it is true that caring for the vertebrae of the spine forms the basis for all chiropractic care, many people may not realize that the same principles apply to other joints, and that correcting those misalignments can also improve overall health.

A good example of this is the sacroiliac joints of the pelvis, which attaches the bottom of the spine to the pelvis. These joints are the vital connectors between the upper and lower half of the skeletal framework.

Here, Dr. Horst discusses how chiropractic adjustments to this region can relieve pain and stiffness, as well as prevent more serious musculoskeletal injuries from occurring.

Sacroiliac Joints of the Spine

The sacroiliac joints connect on either side of the sacral bones, in the lumbar region of the spine, to the wings of the pelvis. These joints amount to shock absorbers that transmit all the force of the upper body to the hips and legs. Motions such as running or jumping up and down are good examples of why the sacroiliac joints are so crucial for proper body movement.

What Can Cause Pelvic Tilt?

Posture or lifestyle: Bad posture can compress the lumbar and sacral regions of the spine against the pelvis, due to holding the body in an incorrect position, which in turn places pressure on the sacroiliac joint. A sedentary lifestyle can also compress the sacroiliac joint, due to a lack of mobility. Either of these may cause the pelvis to shift out of proper alignment, leading to lower back or buttock pain. In other cases, patients may complain of pain that radiates down the back of the legs, similar to sciatica. These are the most common causes for a shift in the alignment of the pelvis.

Pregnancy: The third trimester of pregnancy places a great deal of stress on a woman’s joints, tendons, and ligaments in her pelvic area. Her body is secreting hormones during this time to help prepare her body for childbirth by making the ligaments, cartilage, and tissue in this area more flexible to make labor easier. However, the very same hormones that help ease labor may also cause back pain, as these loose structures may also cause the pelvis to tilt. It will result in a distinctive waddling gait during the last trimester of pregnancy, which will also place pressure on the woman’s knees and ankles.

Chiropractic Pelvic Adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments to the joints are designed to open up the spaces between the bones at the point where they meet, which will allow them to shift back into proper alignment. In the case of the sacroiliac joints, Dr. Horst will be able to ease the lower spine and pelvis back into their proper position, which will reduce the amount of pelvic tilt and reduce pain in the lower back, pelvis, and buttocks. This adjustment can be made either with the hands or the use of a special instrument to open up the joint.

Dr. Horst strongly recommends regular adjustments of the sacroiliac joints, particularly for pregnant women in their late-second and third trimesters. Regular adjustments to this joint can prevent further damage as a result of poor posture.