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Self Care – Pain Along One Side of the Sacrum

Table of Contents

Activities To Avoid or Change:

Avoid the teetering exercises listed in the post on this trigger point. This includes things like vacuuming, sweeping, raking, working on a low counter, or doing dishes. Also, avoid exercises where you bend forward like moving boxes or picking up grandkids. By the way, even if you don’t bend way over like this guy, the slight teetering while trying to remain upright will aggravate this.

These muscles are also aggravated by walking up and down hills.

Slumping while sitting will also aggravate this. When getting into a car:

  • lean into the steering wheel
  • press your hips into the back of the seat
  • lean back to sit up straight
  • move the seat closer to the wheel to stop edging forward to reach the pedals
  • Avoid using heat in the seat. IT will feel good but creates inflammation that makes the back hurt more after a few hours

For Temporary Relief:

For relief on the go
or getting out of bed.

These topical patches offer a lot of relief for the fragile low back pain from the trigger point referral. They boost your energy during the day and when put on before bed, they can make getting out of bed much easier.

Feel for your ribs and hips in the back. Place the top of the patch along the top of your hips. It will offer relief from pain and, surprisingly give you more energy. I’ve carried a pack of these with me when moving and on walking vacations. My friends and family are often surprised by how much more energy they have within a few minutes of using the patch.

They are available. here on Amazon.

I like these 10×13 ice packs to focus the icing on the right area. They have a cloth covering to prevent frostbite when you’re in too much pain to find and position a thin cloth between the pack and your skin. Here is a post with guidelines on using an ice pack. These ice packs are available here on Amazon.

Icing does more than the patches. Ice patches compress out edema and bring fresh blood into connective tissues that don’t usually get good blood supply.



These self-care activities, like over-the-counter drugs, are not intended to replace appropriate medical attention. If you have concerns about these self-care activities, get help from a professional. Use these suggestions and strategies with discretion and at your own risk. See your doctor when your pain is severe, persistent, or not responding to these simple suggestions.

Stretches and Exercises for Longer-Lasting Relief:

The supine twist is a classic exercise for mobilizing the lumbar vertebrae and the sacroiliac joint. It is good for strengthening and stabilizing the low back as well as getting immediate relief to get out of bed.

Bridge Pose by YogaOutlet

Bridges, are great to stabilize and align the vertebrae that are loosened by supine twists. Do a set of 10 in between 4 sets of the supine twists. Use the AIS guidelines for speed, cadence and intensity.

Once this has reached a point of stable relief, walking lunges mobilize the pelvis and strengthen low-back muscle that prevents recurrence.

Walking Lunges

Walking Lunges

  • Step forward so the front foot is in front of the knee and the back knee is behind your hips.
  • Keep your shoulders back over your hips.
  • Lower your torso until the front is level.
  • Keep your knee behind your toes on the front leg.
  • Widen your stance, turn your front toe in a tiny bit, and focus on keeping your hips between your feet if you are unstable.
  • Step forward while minimizing how much your head and front shin lean forward.
  • Do 6-10 reps on each leg.

I’d love your feedback on how this works for you and any suggestions you might have.
Email me at integrativeworks@gmail.com.

Yoga Corner

Bridges and lying twists will be helpful. Seated and standing twists will help if you extend the back of your head upward and engage your core as you twist.

Poses on one foot, poses that are unstable, quick dropping planks and forward folds will aggravate this condition. Even poses with a slight forward tilt or dropped head will tend to aggravate this.

If this is irritated after your session, ice it within a few hours to stabilize the joint, and reduce the onset of inflammation.

Other trigger point patterns
have similar areas of referral and impaired activities.

There are quite a few patterns that refer into this same area. Here is a link to other patterns that refer into the low back and hip.

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Cranio Cradle Cup

This mug has classic, colorful illustrations of the craniosacral system and vault hold #3. It makes a great gift and conversation piece.

Tony Preston has a practice in Atlanta, Georgia, where he sees clients. He has written materials and instructed classes since the mid-90s. This includes anatomy, trigger points, cranial, and neuromuscular.

Question? Comment? Typo?
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Tony Preston

*This site is undergoing significant changes. We are reformatting and expanding the posts to make them easier to read. The result will also be more accessible and include more patterns with better self-care. Meanwhile, there may be formatting, content presentation, and readability inconsistencies. Until we get older posts updated, please excuse our mess.