Tiger Walk

By Daniel Cowen

This is the personal context for why this site exists. It is not a universal prescription. What helped me may not help you. But it explains the lens through which this resource was built.

Early signs (2018–2019)

Pain showed up after long walks or runs. Deep in the right butt, sometimes wrapping around the hip. I assumed it was a tight hip flexor or hamstring. Stretching helped temporarily. Pain returned.

I tried foam rolling, yoga, more stretching. Relief lasted hours, not days. Pain worsened after sitting then standing. I started avoiding long walks.

Standard approaches that did not work (2019–2020)

Physical therapy focused on hip mobility and hamstring flexibility. I got more mobile. Pain persisted.

Chiropractor said my pelvis was misaligned. Adjustments felt good. Pain returned within a day or two. I kept going back, thinking I needed maintenance. After months, I realized I was not building capacity.

I tried core strengthening: planks, bridges, dead bugs. Pain did not improve. I got stronger but symptoms stayed the same.

The shift: control under load (2020)

I read something about single-leg stance and pelvic control. I tried standing on one leg. My pelvis dropped immediately on the right side. I could not hold it level for more than 10 seconds without shifting my whole body.

This was the first thing that matched my symptoms. Pain showed up during walking and running—repeated single-leg stance. It made sense.

I started practicing single-leg stance daily. Ten seconds per side, focusing on keeping my pelvis level. It was harder than I expected. After two weeks, I could hold 20 seconds without major shifting. Pain during short walks started improving.

What started working (2020–2021)

I added step-downs and suitcase carries. These were not glamorous. They were boring and slow. But they matched the failure mode: control under load during single-leg stance.

I stopped aggressive stretching. I stopped chasing alignment. I focused on building capacity through graded exposure:

After six weeks, I could walk an hour without symptoms. After three months, I could run short intervals without pain. Progress was slow and inconsistent, but the trend was clear.

The key insight: control, not alignment

The problem was not that my pelvis was misaligned. It was that my pelvis could not stay stable under load. Alignment fixes provided temporary relief but did not build capacity. Control work built capacity.

Stretching felt good because it reduced tone. But the problem was not tightness. It was timing and coordination. Stretching without control work just made me more mobile and less stable.

Flares and setbacks (2021–2022)

I had flares. After a long hike. After a bad night of sleep. After a stressful week. Flares were frustrating but informative. They showed me I had exceeded current capacity or that multipliers (sleep, stress) were amplifying symptoms.

I learned to pace better. Start conservatively. Progress slowly. Reduce load on bad days. Do not push through flares.

Boring consistency worked better than aggressive spikes.

What helped beyond mechanics (ongoing)

Sleep mattered more than I expected. A bad night meant worse symptoms the next day. I prioritized sleep consistency.

Stress amplified pain. High-stress weeks meant lower tolerance. I could not eliminate stress, but I could recognize its impact and adjust activity accordingly.

Fueling mattered. When I underate relative to activity, capacity dropped. Symptoms worsened. Eating enough made a difference.

Where I am now (2024–present)

I can walk, hike, and run without significant symptoms most of the time. I still have occasional flares, usually after doing too much too soon or after poor sleep. I know what to do: reduce load, rest a day or two, resume at a lower dose.

I maintain single-leg work as part of my routine. Not daily, but 2–3 times per week. If I stop for weeks, control degrades and symptoms creep back.

This approach worked for me. It may not work for everyone. Some people need different interventions. Some need imaging or medical care. But for me, the lens of control under load was the breakthrough.

Why this site exists

SI pain is confusing. Standard advice often misses the control and load-transfer problems. I spent years trying approaches that did not match my failure mode.

This site is an attempt to share the framework that helped me. Not as marketing. Not as a course to sell. Just as a public resource for people stuck in the same loop I was.

If it helps, use it. If it does not, discard it and find what works for you.

Feedback welcome

If this approach helps you, or if something is unclear or incomplete, use the Feedback form. Responses help improve this resource.

Disclaimers

This is a personal account, not medical advice. I am not a healthcare provider. What helped me may not help you. If you have red flags or symptoms that do not improve, seek professional evaluation. See Safety & Red Flags for when to get care.

Last updated: 2026-01-15