How to Fix Right or Left SI Joint Pain: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re dealing with pinpoint low back pain on either your right or left side, there’s a strong chance it’s coming from your sacroiliac (SI) joint. The SI joint can become irritated when the muscles around your pelvis are imbalanced, causing pulling, torsion, and discomfort that can feel sharp, achy, or tight in your low back.

Whether your pain stems from a tight right glute, a weak left glute, a cranky hip flexor, or an overused IT band, the key to lasting relief is restoring balance to all the muscles that attach to the pelvis. Here’s exactly what to do to release tightness, reset alignment, and build strength to prevent the pain from coming back.

Step 1: Release Tension Around the Pelvis

Releasing tight muscles helps reduce torque on the SI joint. These self-myofascial release techniques are great during a flare-up or as ongoing maintenance.

✅ Release the Hip Flexors with a Coregeous Ball

Use a soft ball like the Coregeous Ball under the front of your hip. Prop your leg out to the side and rest there for 5–7 minutes. This is great not just for hip tension but also for improving digestion and relieving constipation.

✅ Stretch the Psoas

Use a bed or couch to stretch the front of your hip. Place one knee on the surface with toes pointing down or slightly inward. Bring the opposite leg forward into a lunge position and lean in to feel a deep hip stretch.

✅ Lacrosse Ball Glute Release

Sit or lie on a lacrosse ball and target the glute medius and minimus. Spend about 2 minutes on each side, especially focusing on the non-painful side, where compensation often occurs. Then move the ball toward the center of the glute to release the piriformis.

✅ Pigeon Stretch

This yoga pose is excellent after glute release. Cross one leg in front and extend the other behind you. Keep your front knee aligned with your hip and hold the stretch for 60 seconds to 2 minutes.

✅ Foam Roll or Use a Peanut Ball on IT Bands

Use a foam roller or peanut ball to roll out the outer thigh. Move slowly and pause on hot spots, breathing deeply into the discomfort. This helps release fascia and reduce tension pulling on the pelvis.

✅ Quad and Hamstring Stretch

Stretch the front and back of your thighs to further balance the pelvis. When stretching hamstrings, keep a neutral spine to avoid putting strain on your nerves, focus on stretching the muscles, not the back.

✅ Inner Thigh (Adductor) Release

Foam rolling or stretching your adductors can also impact SI joint alignment. A simple wide-legged stretch or rolling the inner thigh with a foam roller can provide great relief.

Step 2: Reset Your SI Joint with Muscle Energy Techniques

Muscle energy techniques (METs) are gentle contractions that help reset pelvic alignment.

🔄 Shotgun Technique

1. Lying on your back, place your hands on the outside of your knees and push outward for 10 seconds.
   
   
2. Then place hands on the insides of your knees and push inward for 10 seconds.
   
   
3. Repeat the inward push 3 times.
   
   
   

🔄 Anterior Innominate Correction

1. Push one knee into your hand while pressing the opposite foot down into the floor.
   
   
2. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times.
   
   
3. If this doesn’t help, try the other side.
   
   
   

🔄 Sacral Torsion Reset

1. Lie on your stomach and lift both heels up toward the sky.
   
   
2. Use your own hand or another surface for resistance.
   
   
3. Press your heels upward for 10 seconds, repeating the set 3 times.
   
   
   

These resets can offer immediate relief, but they’re temporary if the underlying imbalances aren’t addressed.

Step 3: Strengthen the Muscles Around the Pelvis

To prevent SI joint pain from recurring, build strength in the muscles that stabilize the pelvis.

🍑 Glute Bridges

• Lie flat (no pillow).
  
  
• Push through the entire foot and imagine pushing your knees away from your body.
  
  
• Engage the glutes more than the hamstrings.
  
  
  

🍑 Clamshells

• Lie on your side, knees bent.
  
  
• Engage your core and squeeze your heels together as you open the knees.
  
  
• Aim for 20–40 reps to fatigue endurance muscles.
  
  
  

🍑 Reverse Clamshells

• From the same position, lift the top ankle instead of the knee to target internal rotators.
  
  
• Keep the bottom leg grounded and core tight.
  
  
  

🍑 Side-Lying Leg Raises

• Focus on the glute medius to strengthen your lateral hip.
  
  
• Keep hips stacked and spine neutral.
  
  
  

🍑 Adduction Work

• Perform inner thigh squeezes or side-lying leg lifts with the top leg crossed over the bottom leg.
  
  
  

By strengthening the glutes, adductors, and rotators, you’ll create better balance around your pelvis, helping your SI joint stay in alignment for good.

Bonus: Rebuild Functional Strength

Once you’re out of pain and feeling balanced, start rebuilding mechanics with controlled leg days:

• Practice proper squat and deadlift form.
  
  
• Progress to single-leg exercises like lunges or Bulgarian split squats.
  
  
• Focus on form, core control, and symmetry.
  
  
  

Final Thoughts

SI joint pain is often caused by muscular imbalances that can be corrected with the right combination of release work, gentle alignment resets, and focused strengthening. These strategies can help relieve pain and keep it from coming back, so you can move confidently and live without limitations.

Need help getting started? Reach out to schedule a pelvic physical therapy evaluation or check out our programs designed to get you pain-free and strong from the inside out.