Sacroiliac Joint Problems

[Jay1984]

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading the posts for a while and have finally gotten the nerve to join. I'm all the way in Australia but the issues are all the same here as they are there.

I had full spinal fusion at the age of 17 (currently 21) due to curves in excess of 75 degrees. They used the titanium rods. They also removed a rib and used that as part of the bone graft.

Anyway, since my surgery I have had major pain in the lower of my back - I always said to the specialists it was from my hip, but you know what they're like, they dont listen anyway. I saw several specialists and had several tests done - CAT, standard x-rays, blood tests (to rule out infections). The CAT scan showed inflamation in the area I was complaining about. So they tried facet joint injections - didnt work. They gave up and brushed me off to a physio.

My first session with the physio and he diagnosed me! After 4 years finally! My weight has been transferred to my sacroiliac joint, this is taken my entire body weight!

Basically, I just want to know if anyone else has issues with their sacroiliac joints and did you find it difficult to get diagnosed?

I have other issues but I think I'll save them for another post. :)

[LindaRacine]

Hi Jay...

S-I joint pain is fairly common in scoliosis. I think it's from a tilted pelvis. I've had S-I joint pain since before my scoliosis surgery 13 years ago. It tends to flare up about 3-4 times a year, and the episodes last about a month. The next time it happens to me, I'm going in for an S-I joint injection to see if that helps.

Regards,
Linda

[sweetness514]

This is interesting...I've been in a lot of pain on and off in my hips area ever since surgery, and they are straight(very well aligned). I don't know if it could be that or just the fact that that area, including my abdominal and lower back muscles are not strong enough maybe, but the pain is mostly in the bones and happens after I either sit or stand too long, more like fatigue :confused:

What are the symptoms and did exercises help?

[LindaRacine]

In my case, the pain is very sharp in my upper right buttock. It comes on with movement, then settles down if I stay still. I've not found any exercise that helps.

--Linda

[Jay1984]

Thanks for replying.

I agree with Linda - its a very sharp pain that feels like it is coming from my hip/top of buttock. There's no point massaging it as it doesnt help.

To get relief I have to lie on my side with my legs up near my chest. Or when I sit in a chair my legs are always up. It helps to take the weight off.

The surgeons were talking about taking the rods to help re-distribute the weight- but I decided against that option. I have done pyshio for the last 6 months for the S-I Joints. It was a mixture of pilates and standard physio stuff. It has helped slightly - better than nothing. The point of it is to strengthen the core muscels which support the back. My physio tailored the exercises to what I could do - ge was great!

It's worth a try!

Good luck.

[expatient]

I have been studying after my si was moven back to it's original place and all my pain was gone. I had scholiosis, ischias, back pain, leg numbness, blood pressure problems, headacke, weakness on my legs... Not anymore!

Great links:
http://www.Kalindra.Com/shawsij.Pdf
http://www.Healing.Org/only-3.Html
http://www.Kalindra.Com/faq.Htm
http://www.Independenceback.Com/causes.Htm

and here in finland only very few knows that method how to put the si back to its place. I am lucky I found one some time ago...

If anyone knows more shaw, dontigny or others, I am trying to collect them for my study of sijd... I have more than 100 links to documents of sijd, but i'm sure there is more... Those are the best!

[Froggybee19]

Hi!
I have had both my SIs fused. I had them done a year ago when I was 17. I do still have some pain there, but it is nowhere near where it used to be. Overall, I have severe back pain and I am fused T1-sacrum and anchored in my ileum on both sides and of course both SIs. In each SI I have 2 screws and they placed some donor bone in there. The doctor said that with all the screwing that some bone would break up and that would aide the fusion. I hope that everything goes well for you!

[expatient]

Hi!
I have had both my SIs fused. I had them done a year ago when I was 17. I do still have some pain there, but it is nowhere near where it used to be. Overall, I have severe back pain and I am fused T1-sacrum and anchored in my ileum on both sides and of course both SIs. In each SI I have 2 screws and they placed some donor bone in there. The doctor said that with all the screwing that some bone would break up and that would aide the fusion. I hope that everything goes well for you!
If you had SIJD, you most certainly have hip subluxation too, and that is responsible for some pain too. That hip subluxation is an other poorly known dislocation known only SOME chiropracticians... use google!

And surely, if those Si's are not fused exactly to the correct place, they will put pressure on nerves. Most doctors don't believe on Si dysfunction... how can they know the correct place to fuse them??

There are hundreds of thousands of pain patients that have been under knife and got only worse...

[Froggybee19]

Wow, that makes me feel all warm and fuzy..not! I know that I have had a lot of surgeries, and my doctors are the best in the world, and for that I am thankful. If I had some Joe Smo local doctor I think that I would be in a worse position than I am now! Both of my SIs are extremely deformed, so they are nowhere near normal looking. I have congenital scoliosis and so far I've had 8 fusions, many have been redos. I have a very deformed spine and so it is hard to fix. The doctors don't know why the bone doesn't take. They've tested me for every type of bone disorder, but so far they've found nothing. Hip subluxation? My hips have been x-rayed many many many times and the actual hip joint is fine....nobody has ever mentioned anything. I can't go to chiropractors, I don't move much since everything but my Cspine is fused. I did go to a chiro a few years ago for almost a year but it did nothing so my parents finally let me stop, the chiro just did the trigger point stuff.
Expatient, I take it you have not had a good experience with surgeons? I can definetly understand that!

[expatient]

I have congenital scoliosis and so far I've had 8 fusions, many have been redos. I have a very deformed spine and so it is hard to fix.
Si-joint dysfunction causes scoliosis. Once Si is put back to its place that scoliosis disappears. There are a lot of medical evidence on that.


The doctors don't know why the bone doesn't take. They've tested me for every type of bone disorder, but so far they've found nothing. Hip subluxation? My hips have been x-rayed many many many times and the actual hip joint is fine....nobody has ever mentioned anything.
Small hip subluxations don't show if the pictures are taken in front or from back. They should be taken from side.


I can't go to chiropractors, I don't move much since everything but my Cspine is fused. I did go to a chiro a few years ago for almost a year but it did nothing so my parents finally let me stop, the chiro just did the trigger point stuff.
Yes. Most of them don't know what to do. They are as poor here in Finland too.


Expatient, I take it you have not had a good experience with surgeons? I can definetly understand that!
No, I was lucky to find one who knew how to put Si back, before I was operated. And I lookt for a long time to find someone. 20 doctors/physiatrist, ortoedian, chiropracticians, naprtapaths, osteopaths, neurologies... no help from them!

[Abbyjo_21]

Hey-
I have the same pains that you were describing but yet have to be diagnosed with anything. I wonder if that could be whats wrong with me also...I have the really bad back pains and have gone to a doctor a couple of times for my hip because they hurt so bad. I'll have to ask my doctor about the sacroiliac joint...hopefully thats the answer!!

Abby

[expatient]

Hey-
I have the same pains that you were describing but yet have to be diagnosed with anything. I wonder if that could be whats wrong with me also...I have the really bad back pains and have gone to a doctor a couple of times for my hip because they hurt so bad. I'll have to ask my doctor about the sacroiliac joint...hopefully thats the answer!!

Abby
Not all the doctors know about it! Call first and ask. There are some places all around the world where they understand it... but not many!

[Abbyjo_21]

I go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota and I would think they would know about it..but i guess ill have to ask.