Sacroiliitis

What causes sacroiliitis?

The sacroiliac joints connect your lower spine to each hip bone. Sacroiliitis occurs when one or both joints are inflamed.

The inflammation may appear following a traumatic injury or develop gradually due to joint degeneration and arthritis. During pregnancy, the sacroiliac joint loosens and stretches, placing extra stress on the joint that may cause inflammation.

What symptoms develop due to sacroiliitis?

Sacroiliitis typically causes lower back pain. You may also feel pain in your buttocks, thighs, and legs, as well as your hips. Some patients describe the pain as sharp or stabbing, while others experience dull, achy pain. The pain can become aggravated by certain activities, such as prolonged standing, climbing stairs, and running.

How do you treat sacroiliitis?

Your initial treatment may include medications that target a specific symptom. Medications are also available to relieve sacroiliitis when it’s caused by ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that affects the spine. Physical therapy is an important part of sacroiliitis treatment, but pain often prevents patients from engaging in beneficial exercises.

The team at Advanced Pain Management offer specialized interventional therapies that stop nerves from sending pain signals to your brain. Your treatment plan may include:

Sacroiliac joint injections

During a sacroiliac joint injection, your Advanced Pain Management provider uses a very small needle to inject a local anesthetic and cortisone into the joint. The joint is confirmed as the source of your pain if the anesthetic provides immediate pain relief. 

The cortisone produces longer-lasting pain relief by reducing inflammation. The goal is to provide enough pain relief that you can participate in physical therapy or chiropractic care.

Nerve blocks

A nerve block is an injection containing an anesthetic and cortisone. Your provider injects the medications around the nerves sending pain signals from the sacroiliac joint to your brain. The anesthetic blocks the signal, so your brain doesn’t perceive the pain, while the cortisone reduces inflammation.

Radiofrequency ablation

Like a nerve block, radiofrequency (RF) ablation targets the nerves transmitting pain messages. Using X-ray imaging to guide the placement of a needle probe, your Advanced Pain Management provider places the probe at the nerve, then releases RF energy that precisely heats an area on the nerve. The resulting wound, or lesion, blocks pain signals. Your pain relief following RF ablation may last nine months to more than two years.

If you suffer from ongoing lower back or hip pain, call Advanced Pain Management or schedule an appointment online.