Sacroiliac joint pain can arise from a variety of clinical conditions. A thorough history of clinical symptoms and past medical conditions should be a routine part of the comprehensive evaluation of a patient presenting with SI joint disorders. Patients usually complain of deep-seated pain in the region of the SI joint with as many as 50% of people reporting symptoms that extend down the posterior thigh. 25% of patients report pain extending as far as the leg. Pain can frequently mimic and be misdiagnosed as sciatica pain. Numbness and tingling are rarely associated with sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Patients are also likely to complain of pain while sitting down, lying on the involved side or when climbing stairs. Pain from the sacroiliac joint usually follows an inciting event and does not arise slowly over time as more common in joints involving the lumbar spine (discs and “facet” joints). Trauma, pregnancy, spine surgery, and heavy strains are all documented potential reasons for SI joint pain.
If you have some of these features and suspect that your sacroiliac joint may require treatment there are several clinical tests that your physical therapist can perform to better determine if your SI joint is the root of your pain. In cases that are still ambiguous anesthetic injections delivered to the SI joint are considered to be the gold standard to rule in or rule out sacroiliac joint involvement.
Once a confident determination of SI joint pathology is made you can more confidently initiate a course of treatment. Let the healing begin!
If you are experiencing low back pain and think that your SI joint may be to blame, consider contacting us for a comprehensive assessment and start feeling better today.
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