Are You Living with Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Pain?
Everyday, we find ourselves sitting – at work, in a restaurant, in a car, at home – which causes us to have to stand up multiple times throughout the day. If you ever feel pain in the lower back when you stand up, or when you climb stairs, you could be experiencing sacroiliac joint pain. Dr. Thomas Brooks, a pain medicine specialist at Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists in Omaha, Nebraska, helps individuals find relief from SI pain.
Approximately 80 percent of adults in the U.S. will experience lower back pain at some time in their lives. Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain can be attributed to anywhere from 15 to 30 percent of people who present with chronic lower back pain.
It’s important to first understand what the SI joints are and their location. The joints are located in the lower back on both sides of the spine. The SI joint connects the pelvis to the sacrum, the area above the tailbone. The SI joint helps to balance the weight between your upper body and legs when you stand or walk. It acts as a shock absorber and reduces pressure on your spine. There are spaces between the bones of the SI joints filled with free nerve endings. If the bones in the SI joint are out of alignment, it can cause dull or sharp pain.
What Causes SI Joint Pain?
Pain in the SI joints is usually the result of an injury that causes inflammation. SI joint pain can become worse with movements that cause stress on the joint, such as:
Sitting for long periods of time
Putting more weight on one leg more than the other
Climbing stairs
Running or taking long strides when walking
Contact sports
One leg being longer than the other leg
Pregnancy
Arthritis
It can also come from working in jobs that require a lot of heavy lifting on a regular basis or are labor intensive.
SI joint pain is often misdiagnosed because the pain can be similar to sciatica, bulging discs, or hip problems. When determining the source of your pain, it’s important to speak with a pain medicine physician like Dr. Thomas Brooks who specializes in SI joint pain.
What are Symptoms of SI Joint Pain?
Symptoms of SI joint problems can be different in each person. The most common include pain from:
Lower back, buttocks, hips, pelvis, and groin
One or both of the SI joints
Thighs, upper legs, and even feet
Standing up from sitting
Stiffness or a burning feeling in the pelvis
Numbness
Weakness
Shooting pain down into the thighs and upper legs
Legs feeling as if they might buckle
You may experience pain at different times of the day, for example, more so in the morning.
How Do You Treat SI Joint Pain?
It’s important to talk with your provider if you think your pain is related to the SI joint. At Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists, Dr. Brooks will go over all the treatment options available with you, which could include one or a combination of the following:
Anti-inflammatory medications, including NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen
Muscle relaxants
Sacroiliac joint injections
Physical therapy
Chiropractic treatment
Radiofrequency ablation of sacral nerves
Surgery
Dr. Thomas Brooks has extensive experience performing sacroiliac joint injections. This is a procedure in which steroids are injected into the sacroiliac joint to reduce the inflammation of the joint.
Helping you find relief from sacroiliac (SI) joint pain is our priority. Talk with your provider, or contact Dr. Thomas Brooks at Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists in Omaha, Nebraska, or Dr. Kelly Zach or Dr. Phillip Essay in our Lincoln clinic, and see how we can help you. No physician referral is necessary. Call 402-413-5010 today.