Photo from healthline.com
Sacroiliitis is an inflammation of one or both of your sacroiliac joints, which are located at the junction of your lower spine and pelvis. Sacroiliitis can produce pain in the buttocks or lower back, as well as down one or both legs. Long periods of standing or stair climbing can aggravate the pain.
Sacroiliitis can be difficult to diagnose since it is frequently confused with other causes of low back pain. It's been connected to a group of disorders that produce spinal inflammatory arthritis. Physical therapy and medicines may be used in treatment.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SACROILIITIS?
Pain from sacroiliitis is most typically felt in the buttocks and lower back. It can also cause problems with the legs, groin, and even the feet. The following factors can worsen sacroiliitis pain:
- Long periods of standing
- Putting more pressure on one leg than the other
- Climbing the stairs
- Running
- Making significant progress
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF SACROILIITIS?
The following are some of the causes of sacroiliac joint dysfunction:
- Traumatic injury: A abrupt impact, such as a car accident or a tumble, can cause injury to your sacroiliac joints.
- Arthritis: Wear-and-tear arthritis (osteoarthritis) and ankylosing spondylitis, a kind of inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine, can both occur in the sacroiliac joints.
- Pregnancy: To accommodate childbirth, the sacroiliac joints must loosen and stretch. The extra weight and changed gait during pregnancy might put additional strain on these joints, resulting in abnormal wear.
- Infection: The sacroiliac joint can become infected in rare circumstances.
WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS OF SACROILIITIS?
Some people lose mobility due to sacroiliitis if it is not addressed. Untreated pain can also cause sleep disruption and lead to psychological problems such as depression.
Sacroiliitis caused by ankylosing spondylitis might worsen with time. This type of arthritis causes the vertebrae (bones) in your spine to fuse and stiffen over time.
HOW IS SACROILIITIS DIAGNOSED?
During the physical exam, your doctor may press on areas of your hips and buttocks to try to determine the source of your pain. He or she may gently stress your sacroiliac joints by moving your legs into different positions.
Imaging tests
An X-ray of your pelvis can reveal evidence of sacroiliac joint injury. If your doctor suspects you have ankylosing spondylitis, he or she may recommend an MRI, which is a test that combines radio waves and a strong magnetic field to produce very detailed cross-sectional images of both bone and soft tissues.
Anesthetic injections
Because low back pain can have a variety of causes, your doctor may recommend numbing injections (anesthetics) to aid in the diagnosis. For example, if an injection into your sacroiliac joint relieves your pain, the problem is most likely in your sacroiliac joint. However, the numbing medication can leak into surrounding structures, reducing the test's reliability.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR SACROILIITIS?
Treatment is determined on your symptoms as well as the cause of your sacroiliitis.
Medications
Depending on the source of your discomfort, your doctor may advise you to:
Pain relievers: If over-the-counter pain relievers are ineffective, your doctor may prescribe stronger versions of these medications.
Muscle relaxants: Medications like cyclobenzaprine (Amrix, Fexmid) may help lessen the muscle spasms that are common in sacroiliitis.
TNF inhibitors: TNF inhibitors, such as etanercept (Enbrel), adalimumab (Humira), and infliximab (Remicade), are frequently used to treat sacroiliitis caused by ankylosing spondylitis.
Therapy
Your doctor or physical therapist can teach you range-of-motion and stretching exercises to keep your joints flexible, as well as strengthening exercises to keep your muscles solid.
Surgical and other procedures
If alternative procedures have failed to ease your pain, your doctor may recommend:
- Joint injections: In order to alleviate inflammation and pain, corticosteroids can be injected into the joint. Because steroids might weaken the bones and tendons in your joints, you can only have a few joint injections per year.
- Radiofrequency denervation: Radiofrequency energy has the potential to harm or kill the nerve tissue that is causing your pain.
- Electrical stimulation: An electrical stimulator implanted in the sacrum may help alleviate discomfort caused by sacroiliitis.
- Joint fusion: Although surgery is rarely used to treat sacroiliitis, fusing the two bones together with metal devices can occasionally reduce discomfort.
HOME REMEDIES FOR SACROILIITIS
The following are some home remedies for sacroiliitis pain:
- Pain remedies sold over-the-counter: Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, and others) may help reduce sacroiliitis discomfort. Some of these drugs can cause stomach discomfort, renal or liver problems; the Food and Drug Administration has upped its warning regarding an increased risk of heart attack and stroke with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen. Read labels and only take as suggested.
- Rest: Modifying or avoiding activities that aggravate your pain may aid in reducing inflammation in your sacroiliac joints. Proper posture is essential.
- Heat and ice: Altering between ice and heat may help reduce sacroiliac pain.