Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Dysfunction is a common cause of low back pain. Other terms for this condition include sacroiliitis, SI joint inflammation, SI joint syndrome, and SI joint strain. Your SI joints connect your spine to your pelvis. They absorb shock and provide stability for your body. Normally, your SI joints have very little movement. Yet, inflammation, wear and tear or a single incident can damage them, changing their normal movement and creating chronic and often debilitating low back pain. This condition can make it hard for you to do daily activities, such as sitting, standing, walking, and even sleeping.
Causes
Pain may start in the joint, or in surrounding ligaments or nerves. Ligaments are bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. The sacroiliac joint has many nerve endings. The nerves send pain signals to the brain. Pain in this region may be caused by many factors.
- Twisting, bending, or moving in a way that triggers sacroiliac joint pain
- Infection of the joint
- Osteoarthritis of the joint, which is more common in older adults
- Trauma , such as an auto accident
- Stress fractures , which is common in athletes
- Pregnancy
- Inflammation of the joint, which can occur with ankylosing spondylitis
Risk Factors
Factors that may increase your chance for sacroiliac joint pain include:
- Weak muscles
- Bending or twisting the back
- Improper lifting
- Inflammatory conditions, such as ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis
Symptoms
Sacroiliac joint pain may cause:
- Mild-to-severe low back pain
- Pain in the buttocks
- Pain that seems deep in the pelvis
- Pain in the hip or groin or back of the thigh
- Pain that radiates down the leg on the affected side
- Stiffness of the lower spine
- Certain activities may increase the pain, such as walking, twisting, or bending
Why You May Be Misdiagnosed for your Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
Studies have found that 20 to 25% of all chronic lower back pain comes not from the spine but from the sacroliac, or SI, joint, which bears and transfers weight and movement from your upper body to your legs. When the ligaments wear out and the SI joint becomes unstable, it can generate a similar kind of sharp back pain — or sciatica-like pain down your leg — as a ruptured disc.
Dr. Nick Shamie, MD., Chief of Orthopaedic Spine Surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and professor of orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery at UCLA School of Medicine, was quoted by CNN saying that: “Most spine surgeons, however, aren’t trained to look at the sacroiliac joint; they generally don’t learn about it during their residency or fellowships. And it doesn’t occur to most patients to ask. Then X-rays, MRIs and CT scans of aching, aging backs show narrowing spinal discs, without actually showing whether these discs are producing pain … further confusing the diagnosis of the suffering patient. One study found that among ”failed” spinal fusion patients – people who had their lumbar vertebrae fused and were still in pain afterward — the SI joint was the real culprit in more than half the cases.”
Finding the Right Treatment for Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction (SI Joint Pain) in Augusta GA
For patients with lower back or buttock pain that stems from the sacroiliac joint, our customized chiropractic treatments at Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic can be applied and are often considered the first line of treatment before more invasive forms, such as surgery are pursued.
As experienced chiropractors in Augusta GA, our treatment goal for sacroiliac joint pain is to utilize a method that is best preferred by the patient and yields the best outcome. Patients respond better to different approaches, and so we are able to customize SI joint-specific treatments to treat the patient’s sacroiliac joint pain. You can contact our office at (706) 814-5053 or online at www.georgia-clinic.com to find out if our specialized, sacroiliac joint treatments are right for your condition.
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The Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic Blog is written by Dr. Mark Huntsman.
Augusta GA Chiropractor Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic provides customized chiropractic care to the Augusta GA, Martinez GA, and Evans GA communities. Visit our main website at www.georgia-clinic.com for customized chiropractic in Augusta GA.
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