Sacroiliac (SI) Dysfunction

Suffering from back pain that just won’t go away? It may actually be related to the Sacroiliac joint.  Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain can be incredibly frustrating and it’s often misdiagnosed as a lower back issue. When the SI joint becomes inflamed, typically due to overuse or strain, it can lead to widespread pain that affects the sciatic nerve and causes severe back and leg pain. If left untreated, some patients find the pain so severe that they undergo surgery to try and relieve it. With the right physical therapy treatment and lifestyle changes, however, you can find relief from SI dysfunction without surgery and get back to the activities that you love.

It’s not uncommon for SI pain to be diagnosed as a lower back issue since the pain often travels down the back of buttocks and thigh muscles like a lumbar strain. However, this issue is instead impacted by a muscle strain or imbalance which causes the SI joint to become overloaded. It’s a common condition that most typically affects long distance runners and pregnant women, but just about anyone can be diagnosed with SI dysfunction.

SI pain is often initially diagnosed as a lower back problem, as the pain usually moves down the thigh like lumbar pain but it isn’t technically related to your back muscles. Instead, SI joint pain is typically the result of muscle imbalance or overuse. This leads to an overload on the SI joint, which is located in the lumbopelvic region. It’s a common condition that many runners, pregnant women and others who are experiencing pain are diagnosed with. Working with a physical therapist to increase range of motion and improve the way you do everyday activities can greatly reduce symptoms.

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Treating SI Dysfunction

While surgery and other drastic treatments are one option for treating SI, physical therapy is a less invasive and cost-effective treatment choice that can provide long-term results with far less pain. Physical therapy focuses on identifying the activities that cause stress and joint imbalance and prescribes exercises that are designed to restore normal motion throughout the body. This can help dramatically reduce pain and also teaches patients how to prevent further issues from developing.

 

Let Specialized Doctors of Physical Therapy create a patient-centered evidence-based treatment plan for you that is designed to:

 

• Reduce your pain and inflammation levels through the use of various modalities
• Improve your range of motion, flexibility, strength, and activity tolerance through medical exercise therapy
• Prevent any re-injury through home exercise program and activity modification.

 

By combining proven physical therapy techniques with lifestyle changes and learning healthier ways to complete your daily activities, we can help you dramatically reduce SI pain and avoid further damage and painful surgeries. You don’t have to give up your favorite sports or daily activities if you suffer from SI dysfunction. Instead, you just need to learn some basic stretching, strengthening and rebuilding techniques for your muscles that will help you get back to a pain free life.

 

Contact Total Motion today to schedule an evaluation and see how we can help you get back to the activities you love restoring your total function for a total life. Remember a referral may not be necessary.