EG, a talented junior high soccer player and forward (position 9), faced a significant challenge with SI joint pain that often reached a level of 7/10 during matches. This pain sometimes forced her to leave games prematurely, and she experienced discomfort particularly in her left SI joint while running, especially when shooting with her left foot. Despite her love for Florida State women’s soccer, I’ve been working on convincing her to root for Notre Dame too (still a work in progress!).
EG’s goals were clear: she wanted to play a full soccer match without pain interrupting her game, improve her speed, and enhance her overall functional mobility. Initially, her diagnosis seemed straightforward—addressing hip mobility, core activation, and glute activation and strength. However, these interventions weren’t making the impact we hoped for. Instead, EG’s journey turned into an opportunity for us to learn together, think beyond the norm, and truly find the root cause.
After further assessment, we identified that weakness in hip flexion (especially on the right side, but bilaterally) and tightness in her left hamstring were contributing most to her SI joint pain and dysfunction. This was an unexpected discovery, but it became a turning point in her treatment. Despite seeing some improvement during the first few visits, the pain would return to a 5-6/10 after playing a match, which led me to dig deeper and reassess our approach.
Once we shifted our focus to strengthening EG’s hip flexors and improving hamstring mobility, her progress was remarkable. Her pain levels dropped consistently after each session, with her most recent visit showing no pain at all (0/10). Her tolerance during games also improved significantly, with pain at most reaching only 1-2/10—a huge success compared to where she started.
At first, EG was very quiet during our sessions, but as we worked together, she began to open up—playfully teasing me about Notre Dame and showing that she truly enjoyed her time in therapy. The best part? EG shared that she now wants to be a physical therapist once her athletic career comes to an end. Knowing that her experience in rehab inspired her to consider pursuing PT is an amazing feeling, and I’m incredibly proud of her journey.
EG, I can’t wait to come to more of your matches and see you dominate the field—pain-free and stronger than ever!