Why Do You Need a Sacroiliac Belt?
The basic purpose of sacroiliac belt is to keep your SI joints from moving too much. Normally, your SI joints are covered with ligaments, just like the other joints in your body. The ligaments naturally prevent your joints from excessive movements. However, there are some cases wherein your ligaments no longer work properly, resulting in joint pains
Some factors that affect your ligaments and prevent them from functioning properly.
- Injured Ligaments – sports injury can cause damaged ligaments. This may cause intense pain and joint instability. You might need to undergo surgery in order to restore the stability of your joints.
- Diseased Ligaments – there are several known diseases that can affect the ligaments in your body. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and other known autoimmune diseases can cause your ligaments to get ruptured, resulting to painful joints.
- Old age – as you age, there several changes that happen inside your body, including the bones and the ligaments. The ligaments turn out to be less elastic and less flexible, resulting pain when you move your joints.
Your sacroiliac joints are located on both sides of the base of your spine or the sacrum. These joints are the ones connecting the sacrum and the pelvis. More often than not, this part is being disregarded whenever you have back pain. You might be feeling pain in your lower back, in the lower part of your buttocks as well as the upper legs, however, it is sometimes mistaken with lumbar problems.
In order to identify if you have sacroiliac problems (or what the doctors call sacroiliac joint dysfunction), try to lie down and raise your leg. If you feel pain in your lower back lower part of the buttocks as well as on the upper legs, then that could be a sign that you have sacroiliac problems. Consult your doctor once you feel this so that you could be prescribed proper treatment, such as a sacroiliac belt.
Types of Sacroiliac Belts
Apart from wearing sacroiliac belt, you also have the option to wear trochanteric belts. Just like the sacroiliac belt, it also prevents your SI joints from moving excessively, which causes the pain in your low back. When used properly and constantly, it provides support and helps you gain proper alignment of your pelvis. In short, trochanteric belts works the function of your damaged ligaments.
Trochanteric belts are used as prescribed by your doctor. You are not allowed to exercise and any rigorous physical activities while wearing the belt.
However, there are some SI joint conditions that cannot be treated just by using the trochanteric belt. You might be asked to take some medications if you have arthritis to lower the inflammation.
Lumbosacral Supports
Lumbosacral supports or belts are intended to put compression on your abdominals. This is to decrease the stress and the weight on your lower back. This kind of support gives stabilization to your lumbar spine, providing an ideal healing condition for lower back muscle strain and other several lumbar spine problems. Furthermore, some of these lumbosacral supports are used to develop back posture.
Low back pain can be a result of several lumbar spine problems. If you have a certain lumbar spine condition, then your doctor might prescribe you use a lumbosacral support.
Types of Lumbosacral Supports
There are several types of lumbosacral supports. It can be ergonomics (like chairs in your office), otherwise corsage or belts that you have to wear. Below are some of the examples.
- Bariatric Support – by providing compression, support and lifting of abdomen, bariatric support helps in decreasing your back and abdominal pain.
- Posture Support – this is designed and enhance to ease not only you back pain, but also, your shoulder and neck pain. Aside from that, it also helps you gain proper posture.
- Corsets – this is very similar to that of what women used back in history. As you wear it, it is going be tightened by laces which are tied either in the back, side or front. It is usually made of light materials like cotton, but it may have metal bars to give unbending support to keep movement and promote proper posture.
