The sacroiliac joint (SI joint) is where the sacrum and the ilium meet, located near the waistline. Like any other joint, the SI joint can become inflamed or unstable, causing pain. When the sacroiliac joint is unstable or inflamed, it can cause low back pain, often spreading to the hips, groin regions, and thighs.

Causes of SI Joint Instability and Pain

The pain typically starts when your SI joint becomes inflamed. This can happen for various reasons, but it often boils down to two main issues:

• Hypermobility: This occurs when the ligaments surrounding the SI joint are disrupted, leading to excessive joint movement. This extra motion can inflame and disrupt the joint and surrounding nerves.
• Hypomobility: Usually due to arthritis, this causes the bones to rub against each other, resulting in intense pain and reduced mobility.

SI joint dysfunction often leads to the following symptoms:

• Dull low back pain, possibly extending to the leg and buttock.
• Pain similar to sciatica, including leg pain, burning, numbness, and tingling.
• A mild to moderate ache around the lower back.
• Increased pain during certain activities, like standing up from a seated position or climbing stairs.
• Muscle tightness and tenderness in your hips or buttocks.
• Occasionally, pain may radiate to the hip, groin, and, rarely, down the leg.

Treatments:

• Physical therapy: Stretching, yoga, some forms of swimming and low impact exercise can have positive impacts on low level sacroiliac pain. Always consult your physician before starting a physical regimen.
• Anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen can reduce inflammation and pain in the sacroiliac joint.
• Steroid injections: Pain radiating from the Sacroiliac joint can be treated with fluoroscopically guided steroid injections. This procedure reduces inflammation and can provide lasting pain relief with repeated treatments.

  Fluoroscopic technology provides the physician with a real-time view of the internal skeletal structure of the body. Injected medication can then be delivered at the precise source of the pain under direct visualization to confirm proper medication placement. The injected medication decreases inflammation at the level of the joints, which reduces the pain radiating from this irritation. It is often necessary to repeat treatment in order to build up the medication and provide lasting pain relief.
  See our Steroid Injection Page

• Minimally Invasive SI Fusion is an innovative new way to treat sacroiliac pain. This unique procedure involves implanting one small bone allograft into the SI joint to stabilize and fuse the dysfunctional joint. The entire procedure is done through a single, small incision on the patient’s back. It does not include any metal implants, has faster recovery times and is much safer than traditional sacroiliac fusion.
  See our SI Fusion Page.

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