Sacroiliac Joint Syndrome

Commonly called the “SI Joint,” your sacroiliac joint may be the source of your lower back pain. Sacroiliac joint syndrome can occur due to a variety of reasons and can result in several different types of pain. Most commonly, the condition manifests itself as lower back pain.

What is the SI Joint?

The sacroiliac joints are two joints located in your lower back. Each joint sits on one side of your spine and holds up the weight of your upper body when you stand or walk. Pain which originates from the SI joint can feel dull or sharp and can radiate to your buttocks, groin, thighs, and even as far as your upper back. Most patients report that the pain is worse while standing up and many times it only occurs on one side of your back.

Causes of SI Joint Pain

In most cases, the pain is caused by inflammation in your SI joint. The inflammation can be triggered by many different things ranging from physical injury and a fall to playing sports or jogging. Other times, the SI joint pain is caused by damage to the ligaments which hold the joint together.

Arthritis can also damage your SI joint and cause Sacroiliac Joint Syndrome. Specifically, a type of arthritis which mostly attacks the spine called ankylosing spondylitis can cause SI joint damage which leads to pain.

Finally, Sacroiliac Joint Syndrome may simply be a result of old age as the SI joint suffers from wear and tear over the years.

Treatments

There are a variety of treatments that may reduce or eliminate your SI joint pain. In addition to these treatments, pain doctors can also prescribe pain relief medication.

• Injections – Injections can help reduce inflammation in the SI joint and therefore reduce the pain. Typically steroids or cortisone is used in the injection.
• Nerve Treatments – Pain doctors can numb the nerves around your SI joint or damage them in order to reduce their ability to send pain signals to the brain.
• Physical Therapy – Physical therapy can be a great first option for pain relief. Specifically, exercises which improve the strength of the muscles that surround your SI joint and increase flexibility have been shown to help with sacroiliac joint syndrome.

If you are suffering from lower back pain, it may be caused by a problem with your sacroiliac joint. Call Garden State Pain Control right away to speak with a board-certified New Jersey pain physician and discuss your diagnostic and treatment options. Call (973) 777-0304 for more information.