Sacroiliac Joint Pain

The sacroiliac (SI) joints are located in your lower back region, on either side of your spine. They connect your lower spine and pelvis and sit between your sacrum and hip bones. SI joints allow your torso and pelvis to move freely when you walk or move your legs.

Understanding Sacroiliac Joint Pain

People with sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain or SIJ dysfunction can have great difficulty just going about their daily activities. Generally, SIJ pain makes your spinal area extremely sensitive and makes small movements painful. SIJ dysfunction as the result of an injury can cause your joint to become very stiff or overly loose. This may cause problems in your lower back, buttocks, thigh or groin.

Causes of Sacroiliac Joint Pain

Sacroiliac joint pain generally results from one of the following reasons:

• Sudden, traumatic injury
• Conditions such as a twisted pelvis, leg length discrepancy or muscle imbalances
• Hormonal changes, especially during pregnancy
• Inflammatory joint diseases such as sacroiliitis or ankylosing spondylitis

Symptoms

Numerous symptoms are associated with sacroiliitis and SIJ pain. These include:

• Lower back, thigh, groin or buttocks pain and stiffness
• Pain when walking
• Limping
• Pain that radiates down the leg
• Psoriasis
• Eye inflammation
• Limited range of motion
• Sudden fever

Treatments

Unfortunately, people with sacroiliitis are often misdiagnosed with sciatica, herniated disks or other low back pain issues. Therefore, proper diagnosis is essential. Depending on your pain level, there are several approaches to treatment:

• Rest
• Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen
• Wearing a sacroiliac belt for support
• Physical therapy
• Leveling the pelvis through manipulation
• Corticosteroid injections
• Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs