my recommendations for the si joint dysfunction starter pack (half-joking) are an si belt, lumbar support pillow(s), an si cushion, & a yoga mat. unfortunately all together that’s expensive as shit because they’re all like $30 but i’ve built up my collection over time & they’ve all been integral to my life.
i’m homebound now so i only have to sit in something that isn’t our recliner couch when i go to the doctor, but back in postgrad i would take my si cushion in my backpack or sitting on it in my mobility scooter & never sit in a chair without it. the added elevation kinda aggravated my knee pain, so i started bringing the cheapest, widest lap desk i could find bungee-corded to my mobility scooter & would take that off, set it up on the ground, & prop my feet up on it. honestly i didn’t gaf back then like what the hell 😂😂 i hurt way too bad to give a shit about abled opinions
the lumbar support pillows i have a smaller, squishier one for sitting in the couch recliner & a larger, firmer one for laying on my back in the bed. it hurts like shit lol but it helps a looot with that like passive stretch. that under my lumbar spine + regular pillow under my knees stretches it so good just laying on my back in bed.
idk how many of you know this so i’ll tack it on here but if you have ankylosing spondylitis it can help neck pain to use a flat pillow! my current one is just flattened by being old as hell but i’ve previously used one marketed to toddlers bc those are made to be as flat as possible. the reason is bc a thicker pillow pushes your neck more into a certain position, generally forward or to one side, which can make morning stiffness & pain worse. some people stop sleeping with a pillow at all but my pain is better with cushioning (i usually sleep on my side with a pillow between my legs & a pillow between my arm & head, & squishy stuffed animals between my hands & the mattress) so i still need one, & when i first switched from a thick memory foam pillow to the toddler one my neck pain got improved So Much literally overnight
obv this is all just my experience but i hope some of that is helpful!! feel free to add on with other shit spine tools & crip hacks!!
