Sacroiliac Joint and Low Back Pain
For several months I have been experiencing a deep tissue pain that starts in the upper part of my right glute and is accompanied by pain in my lower back. I cannot remember any specific incident that caused this injury. I take ibuprofen for the pain, but the condition keeps resurfacing and is now limiting my running routine. Could this be serious?
Dr. Trish Palmer:
Pain in this area is usually either a muscle strain, or a biomechanical issue stemming from rotation through the sacroiliac joint. Occasionally the pain may be referred from problems in the lower back. You could in fact be suffering from all three of these symptoms if you have a problem with your sacroiliac joint.
The sacrum is a triangular shaped bone that is formed by the fusion of several vertebrae and is located just below your lower spine. The sacroiliac joint (SI) sits between the sacrum and the iliac bone (forming the name sacroiliac joint). A painful sacroiliac joint is a common cause of mechanical low back pain and gluteus maximus pain. It is often unclear what causes injury to this joint and what leads to the corresponding low back/glute pain. Pain in your sacroiliac joint can be a nuisance but it seldom causes long-term damage and rarely leads to surgery. Most people who suffer from this problem can reduce their pain and manage the problem with common methods.
Treatment Options:
The good news is that the SI pain may be effectively treated with RICE therapy: resting and discontinuing workouts; icing the joint; compressing the joint with a tightly wrapped bandage to help prevent swelling; and elevating the injury by sleeping or resting on the opposite hip.
If conservative treatment fails to reduce the pain of the injury, it would be a good idea to visit a sports medicine physician for a complete examination. Your physician can formulate a treatment plan to resolve the issue, which may include anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling and pain and a stretching and strengthening program to alleviate stiffness of the muscle and associated joint.
If these treatments still do not combat the problem you may be a candidate for cortisone injections to the joint. Cortisone injections are used to reduce the inflammation in and around the SI joint.
For more information about Dr. Palmer and the Sports Medicine physicians of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, call 877 MD BONES or contact us through this Web site.
This information is not intended as a substitute for the professional advice of your physician, nor to be a complete description of every aspect of a condition, nor a complete list of possible side effects of any medication. Decisions concerning your treatment should be based on your own health care provider's evaluation of your personal health history and current condition. Consult your physician before following any of the suggestions on this Web site. All articles on this Web site represent the personal opinions of the individual authors and should not be construed as official policy of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.
