Have you been having difficulty sleeping, turning, or bending over lately? Are you constantly plagued by sharp pains in the lower back? If so, you could be suffering from sacroiliac joint inflammation – not exactly something you want to be stuck with over the Christmas holidays.
Now, you might be wondering what the sacroiliac joints even are. They are two ‚L-shaped‚ joints are situated at the lower back, between the pelvic ilium and the sacrum (the small wedge-shaped bone at the bottom of your spine), and are held in place by various muscles and ligaments. Their function is to enable you to move your pelvis – sacroiliac joints get pulled and twisted along the pelvic girdle whenever you move your lower back.
When these joints get infected, they can cause stabbing pains in the lower back, the buttocks, and even the thighs on occasion. This inflammation can occur when one half of the pelvis is constantly driven backwards and forwards, or at times when the joints get stuck.
While small infections of the sacroiliac joints and associated ligaments are quite common, the more sever forms of sacroiliitis tend to occur more frequently with aging. The main causes of sacroiliitis are degenerative arthritis (also known as osteoarthritis of the spine) which leads to the deterioration of the sacroiliac joints; pregnancy, as it forces the pelvis to stretch to accommodate childbirth; or some form of sudden impact or traumatic injury to the spine or pelvic region. But do not worry: sacroiliitis is treatable, as long as you are sure to visit osteopath as soon as you notice any of its defining symptoms.
The most common symptoms of sacroiliac joint inflammation are: – Restricted hip movement (making it difficult to turn around or roll over in bed) – Having a stiff lower back after extended periods of remaining still or sedentary (i.e. after long car journeys), or when getting up in the morning – Having trouble bending down – Experiencing pain during sexual intercourse – Sharp pains in your thighs when moving your legs in a specific way (swinging them over the bed or out of the car)
If you recognize any of these symptoms in your own situation, be sure to visit someone with an in-depth knowledge about the sacroiliac joint, such as an osteopath. To minimize your discomfort temporarily, you are advised to: - Wrap a damp tea towel around an icepack and place it on the painful area for 10-minute intervals, over the course of a half hour, for up to three times a day. – Sleep on your side at night (not your back or stomach) – Place a pillow between your knees while you are in a sedentary position or when lying down. This should take some of the pressure off your pelvis.
Sacroiliac joint inflammation can be extremely uncomfortable, but osteopaths can help you deal with the pain quite effectively through a combination of physical therapy and anti-inflammatory treatments. So as long as you visit your osteopath regularly and take good care of yourself, this upcoming holiday season should be as enjoyable as your last.
The content of this page is informed by feedback from a practitioner in Essex and also clinics in Worcester. Further input was received from osteopathic practitioners in Croydon and practices in Fulham. Finally a contribution was made by osteopaths in the Brighton area.