In order to better understand and locate the illiac crest, let’s start with a short anatomy lesson of the human skeletal system, and more precisely, the spine and its components. Our spine is mainly divided into three sections, from the bottom to the top: lumbar, thoracic and cervical.
At the base of the lumbar section, the spine is joined with the pelvic region through another bony formation called the sacrum. On both sides of the sacrum, there is the ilium. Here is where the iliac crest comes into play, as these two structures are jointed through the sacroiliac joint.
What does Iliac Crest Pain feel like?
The iliac crest is the most significant part of three bones that make up our hip bone, also called the bony pelvis. This part is located at the top of the hip bone and has a wing-like shape.
Pain in the iliac crest can go up to the back, abdomen, or groin as many nerves and muscles in these areas are connected to the pelvis. In other words, pain in the iliac crest area may radiate to other parts of the body.
However, the most common symptom to detect an iliac crest issue is having pain in the lower back. The pain can spread lower down the body into the legs, buttocks, and groin. The pain can be felt in body movements like walking.
Iliac Pain Causes
The iliac crest pain syndrome occurs from a tear in the iliolumbar ligament. The tear can happen from a trauma like a hard fall, car accident, twisting the spine in uncomfortable angles, pregnancy, childbirth, even sexual activities, as well as weak core muscles, abdominal muscles and back muscles.
Treatment
Treatment for iliac crest pain syndrome depends on the cause and severity of the pain. Just like with any other medical condition, it is advised to start by taking the least invasive approach first.
By taking the least invasive approach first, you minimise the risk of having to deal with side effects of the more invasive methods of treatment. That’s why, although it’s not excluded, surgery is a possibility, but it should only be seen as a last resort and not chosen as the first or only way to treat a medical condition such as iliac crest pain.
In this case, the first step in treating the pain is through spinal decompression therapy, preferably with the help of an orthopaedic spinal decompression device, such as the Backrack.
We’d like to be the bearers of good news and tell you that IT IS POSSIBLE to heal iliac crest pain naturally. You can perform specific exercises using a specially engineered patented technology, called the Backrack.
Backrack Spinal Decompression Therapy
Why Spinal Decompression Therapy?
Because almost all types of back pain – including those caused by a problem with the iliac crest – are caused by spinal compression, decompressing the spine helps you get permanent pain relief, as it reverses the process of compression of the spine, and therefore the factor that caused the pain in the first place.
Other approaches to treat iliac crest pain, such as the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method, which require that you wrap ice in a towel and apply to the affected region to reduce inflammation, engaging in physical therapy, trying to strengthen muscles in the lower back and lower body that are too weak, and avoiding physical activities that increase the strain on your lower back may prove beneficial as well in some cases of hip pain, and more specifically iliac crest pain.
It must be noted, however, that in more severe cases where physical exercise and rehabilitation therapy are not sufficient to provide pain relief, surgical intervention might be required, especially if your problem is caused by something severe, such as cancer of the bone. If that’s the case, it’s important to get the help of a board certified specialist in order to get the best possible medical care for your problem.
Exercises
Several exercises could help you treat iliac crest pain syndrome and relieve you of the immense pain you are going through. It is enough to engage in these exercises for 15 minutes at a time, 2-3 times a week, at first. Here is just one examples of exercise as well as a description of how to perform it efficiently with the help of the Backrack.
Single Leg Raise
The single leg raise, which is the easy variation of the double leg raise, is performed as follows. Start by laying down on the Backrack in a neutral position with your knees bent and arms next to your body.
Gently bring one legs to your chest as you hug it with both arms and hold it in that position for a few seconds, while the other leg is down, and the foot is flat on the floor. Bring the lifted leg back down and repeat for the other leg. Release and return to the starting position. Repeat a few times for each leg.
Will I not get the same result by simply performing the single leg raise by itself, without the Backrack?
The short answer is, sadly, no. That is because the mechanics of this exercise are changed when it is performed on the Backrack.
By using a spinal decompression device, such as the Backrack, you can exponentially increase the efficacy of decompression exercises. That being said, by performing the same exercises by themselves will not provide you with any results. That is because the exercises alone don’t massage the spine and don’t provide spinal decompression.
If under regular circumstances the single leg raise focuses on engaging your abdominal muscles to strengthen them and compensate for a lack of support to the arch of the spine, when done with the Backrack, the focus is more on having your back being pressed into the rack, so it can be massaged in order to relieve the pain and pressure in your lower back, hips and iliac crest.