Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Pain

What Is Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Pain?

The sacroiliac (SI) joint is located in the pelvis, linking the iliac bone (pelvis) to the lowest part of the spine just above the tailbone, known as the sacrum. The primary responsibility of the SI joint is to transfer the weight of the upper body to the lower extremities.

Sacroiliitis is the inflammation of one or both of the sacroiliac joints. Sacroiliitis causes pain in your lower back and can extend down one or both of your legs.

Sacroiliitis is sometimes used with the term sacroiliac joint dysfunction, either term can be used to describe the pain that stems from the sacroiliac joint (or SI joint).

What Causes Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Pain?

Since Sacroiliitis can describe any type of inflammation found within the sacroiliac joint, there can be a number of issues that cause it.

These can include:

  • Degenerative arthritis, or osteoarthritis of the spine
  • Any form of spondyloarthropathies, which includes ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis or arthritis-related to
  • inflammatory bowel diseases, including ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
  • Pregnancy
  • Traumatic Injury
  • Sudden Impact
  • Arthritis
  • Aging
  • Obesity
  • Repeated stress on the SI joints from repetitive movements
  • Misaligned or malformed joints

What Are The Symptoms?

Symptoms of Sacroiliitis typically include:

  • Pain, usually low back pain or leg pain
  • Pain in the hips or buttock
  • Pain that is worse when sitting for a long time,
  • Pain worsened when rolling over in bed
  • Stiffness felt in the hips and low back, especially after getting out of bed in the morning or after sitting still for a prolonged period.