Dear Neesha,
Have you ever experienced displacement and pain of the SI-joint from yoga practice? How do you advise modifying my practice to prevent injury and pain associated with this pelvic joint injury? Thank you, Timi
Hi Timi,
I have direct experience with the misplacement and pain of the SI joint. For me, it happened before I learned about actively stabilizing before actively elongating in any and every pose. The healing took a while because the ligaments had been stretched. They take time to regain tone as they are not designed to be stretched. With the ligaments saggy, the SI joint can move around too much, causing pain.
For healing, it took a lot of muscle energy, keeping my thighs back as well as a strong action of the tailbone down, as all yoga poses require all the time. Also, I was working with teachers who knew how to adjust the SI joint, which would relieve the pain because the adjustments bring the SI joint in to good alignment.
The pain comes from the excess movement of the joint. Once stretched it takes time for ligaments to spring back. Once you learn to stabilize, it will start to heal. I recommend finding a good teacher who can make sure that you are using your muscles appropriately to not allow the ligaments to continue to be stressed. A teacher can also help you see if your hips are in good alignment and help you learn how to not “hang out in your joints” which has probably created this hip instability. The main focus for you is backing out of deep poses and finding a deeper meaning of muscle energy. Always keep the muscles working as you go into poses, maintain that energy during and as you exit a pose. It sounds like all of the instability in your hips both SI and groins is from a lack of stability as well as letting your thigh bones come forward which overstretches the ligaments of the groin, as well as creating agitation in your groins because the hip flexor muscles are not in optimal alignment.
Try Yoga Today classes on Muscle Energy and Inner Spiral to learn or refine the techniques that will expedite your healing and BLESSINGS on your journey!
This youtube video teaches muscular energy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKxQCL8fD6M&feature=relmfu
This one addresses it a little bit too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3xNlarOno4&feature=relmfu
Namaste,
Neesha




The misplacement and pain of the SI joint are common among the Yoga Practitioners specially who practice challenging poses. Your writing seems very helpful to them
Thank you for your insight. Though it is a common concern for those who practice challenging poses, it does not need to be. Learning about how to work with the biomechanics and alignment of the body keep all of these issues away.
It is so exciting that knowledge opens up the door way to more enjoyment of the experience of yoga!
I have a frozen shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis) and want to know some good yoga poses that can help gently stretch my shoulder. Child’s pose is painful, triangle and any poses that require my arm to go straight up in the air don’t necessarily hurt, but I am unable to even get my arm close to straight up. I have been avoiding yoga but wonder if this might not be something that will advance my healing along with the physical therapy I am doing.
Any advice would be helpful.
Thank you, Kim
Hi Kim, I would love to help you out with that, I will compose a blog for it, so keep your eyes out–
Yoga can help, it just depends how you do it-
take care and don’t over stretch,
Neesha
HI again Kim-
I wrote a blog based on your question.
http://blog.yogatoday.com/2012/07/03/ask-yoga-today-yoga-therapy-for-a-frozen-shoulder/
I hope that it helps your healing process, best of luck in your journey!
Namaste,
Neesha