How To Heal a Si-Joint and Stop the Flare-up Cycle
That Deep-Seated One Sided Pain…
Your back pain isn’t random…and if it feels like it’s coming from deep inside your hip or low back, showing up only on one side when you walk, lie down, or carry something…
It’s likely not only your spine or muscles.
It’s your SI joint.
This tiny but mighty joint at the base of your spine is one of the most commonly missed causes of back pain in Perimenopause.
And if you treat it like a regular muscular pain or quickly go back to your usual workouts—you’re most certainly will make it worse.
How do I know that? Because I suffered from Si-Joint and pelvic misalignment for the past 4 years!
Firstly, I was misdiagnosed and was told I had a facet joint inflammation, then I spent years chasing the wrong solutions, doing the commonly advised stretches and one sided stabilizing exercises, which kept me in a perpetual loop of pain unable to enjoy the simple things in life that I used to take for granted, like WALKING without pain.
I kept re-injuring myself, and slowly but surely was falling into depression, though on the surface I was doing everything right!
IT DROVE ME NUTS!
Out of nowhere, I also started experiencing joint pain — especially in my knees, neck, and feet. I knew I needed a real recovery plan and someone who could explain what was actually happening in my body. But mainstream medicine wasn’t giving me any answers or explanations, so I felt like I needed to figure this our on my own and I decided to turne to the wisdom of ancient healing systems: Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda
This gave me light at the end of the tunnel with my overall symptoms, but my back was still a mystery….until…
One Day I had an epiphany! I Realized That if The Cause Was Correctly Identified I would Already Have Been Better….So, What if the issue with my Back Wasn’t From Facet Joint?
This started the chain of events that brought me finally to an understanding of what I’m really dealing with - and within a short time frame of about 1 month I was better than I ever felt for the past 4 years. I meticulously learned about restoration of Si-Joint and here is what I’ve learned.
What’s Really Happening in Your Body
Let’s talk about what’s really happening in your body—and how to begin restoring true balance in your pelvis.
During perimenopause, your body shifts.
Hormones fluctuate.
And your inner “stabilizer system” starts to misfire.
Your joints become more mobile—but not in a good way.
Your muscles may still be strong—but they’re firing out of sync.
Your core turns off to protect you—like flipping a breaker switch.
Add to that a few years of stress, poor sleep, or carrying your bag and your toddler on the same side…
And now the base of your spine is no longer aligned or supported.
The result?
Pain that pulses deep on one side, especially with walking, twisting, or standing too long.
And a frustrating loop where stretching, training, or resting doesn’t fix it.
Here’s why the pain feels so layered and confusing during a flare-up:
Your core is offline.
When your deep stabilizers stop firing, your body compensates by overusing your outer muscles—especially in your low back.
These muscles aren’t built to hold your spine and pelvis together 24/7.
So they become inflamed, overtired, and strained.
You feel this as muscular pain in your lower back, like a burning or aching band around your waist that tightens the longer you stay upright.
Your SI joint itself is misaligned and irritated.
This small joint isn’t supposed to move much—but when it does, it gets angry fast.
That’s the deep, sharp, and sometimes electric pain you feel near your sacrum, buttock, or groin.
It might show up when turning in bed, getting out of a car, or standing unevenly.
This pain can mimic sciatica but has a different root.
Referred nerve pain adds to the confusion.
The instability in your pelvis can irritate surrounding nerves, creating zaps, tingles, or dull radiating aches in your thigh, lower abdomen, or even down the leg.
It’s a real signal from a misfiring system that needs slow physical re-coordination and nervous system reset.
Nervous System: The Missing Link Most People Overlook
Your nervous system is the command center of your body—and yet, it’s often ignored.
It controls how your muscles fire, how relaxed or tense they are, and how safe your body feels during movement.
When your pelvis is misaligned or your body is under chronic stress, your nervous system goes into protection mode.
It stops trusting your movements and tightens your muscles to brace against potential injury.
That’s why your muscles feel stiff, sore, or constantly locked up.
Until your nervous system feels safe again, no amount of stretching or massage will create lasting relief.
What Should You Do Next?
If inflammation and your pain levels are high —start here first:
Go to a licensed Chinese Acupuncturist, not Dry Needling.
Here’s why:
🔹 Dry needling is a Western technique focused on releasing muscle knots by piercing them with needles. It can be intense and, if applied during an inflamed SI flare-up, may aggravate the nervous system even more.
🔹 Chinese acupuncture, on the other hand, is based on thousands of years of healing wisdom. It works through the meridian system to calm inflammation, regulate internal energy flow, and bring your body back into balance.
When your SI joint is flared up, your nervous system is already on high alert.
Chinese acupuncture doesn’t attack the pain—it soothes the system.
That’s why it’s the first step before movement, before strength work, before anything else.
Once the inflammation starts to calm down, then you can begin very gentle, micro-level movements—and track how your body responds. Your goal is to make sure you core is firing instead of your back muscles when you move,
No pushing through. No fixing. Just observation, support, and small signals of safety.
That’s how real healing begins!
Here’s what NOT to do if you want lasting relief:
Skip all one-sided exercises for now—they overload the problem.
Avoid spinal compression—no heavy weights.
Don’t twist or torque your torso.
No aggressive stretching—especially on the painful side.
Ditch the forward bends and hinging motions for a while.
And stop carrying bags on one shoulder, or any heavy bags. Always center the load and keep it close to your body.
These moves might seem helpful—but they feed instability, not healing.
Here’s what DOES work—when done with patience and control:
First thing - SLOW DOWN! I mean slow down in everything you do.
Start with BABY STEPS and observe how your body responds with each movement and especially new movement you’ve added.
Crawling — Yes, like a baby. It reconnects your core and limbs.
Bird dog / Dead Bug — Simple, slow, precise. Builds diagonal core support.
Wall marching — Teaches your pelvis to stay level during movement.
Band work — But only once you’re stable. Start above the knees, then below, and finally at the calves—if your body responds well.
*You can use a Yoga Ball to introduce gentle instability, which encourages your deep core muscles to activate—all while maintaining a neutral spine.
You’re not just working out here.
You’re retraining your entire core system to support you again, so forget about counting raps or any of that sort of things. You’re teaching your body to move without pain.
This is slow work—but it’s powerful.
You progress not by pushing harder, but by listening better.
If there’s no flare-up, keep going. If there is, pause and reset.
The goal isn’t a six-pack.
It’s deep, inner stability—so your body can finally feel safe and stop sending pain signals.
Watch for Delayed Nervous System Responses
Your nervous system doesn’t always react instantly. Sometimes, the effects of an exercise or movement won’t show up until hours later.
You might feel great during your session—but then, seemingly out of nowhere, discomfort or pain appears long after, even if you haven’t done much since.
This isn’t random. It’s your nervous system processing the change and trying to protect you. Recognizing this delayed response is key to understanding what your body truly needs.
Nervous System Calming Exercises
To help calm an overstimulated nervous system, I recommend practicing vagus nerve tapping—a simple yet powerful way to activate your body’s natural relaxation response. Do it 2–3 times a day, especially between exercises or movement sessions, and always pair it with slow, deep breathing to enhance the effect.
And here’s the part most people miss:
The physical piece is crucial—but it’s not the full story.
If you want lasting relief, you must also address the Mental and Spiritual layers.
Your nervous system needs to feel emotionally safe.
Your inner energy systems need to be restored.
Your body is not separate from your Story, your Stress, or your Spirit.
This is something I cover in my 1-1 program.
