Coasting Towards Year End

The nice thing about having no race plans is that I can just run. I used to love having a training plan with miles to accomplish, but I feel differently now. I'm enjoying my retirement from long-distance racing, and my knees are grateful for that, too. I saw my rheumatologist and my internist last week for checkups and both of them expressed amazement that I'm still running at my age and with RA; my annual mileage made my rheumatologist shake her head. I've been running so long that my body just dials in and lets me do my thing. I still lean on running to keep me sane, which has come in handy during this year's end craziness.

As long as I can run, everything else will fall into place. 

SI Joint Dysfunction: How You Can Fix It Forever

Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link.

Got low back pain? While there are different types of low back pain, one of the most common causes, especially in women, is problems with the sacroiliac joint. SI joint pain usually occurs on one side of the low back. There are a variety of reasons for SI joint dysfunction including injury, repetitive high impact activities, muscle weakness, hormonal changes, such as with pregnancy; and arthritis. 

I experienced SI joint dislocation several years ago after lifting a wreck bag during a CrossFit workout. This was not my first time experiencing pain in that area, but it was the most severe. Luckily, there was a physical therapist in the class, who assisted me with putting the joint back in place. She gave me exercises to do, which helped control some of the pain, but the issue never completely resolved. This past winter, I began experiencing increasing pain on the affected side with walking and running. My gait and my ability to strength train with proper form was altered as I attempted to control the pain. After discussion with my rheumatologist, I sought care from a physical therapist who specializes in women's pelvic health. 

There are a variety of treatments for SI joint dysfunction. I'll be sharing some of the more common remedies as well as my experience with pelvic health PT.