Sacroiliac Syndrome
About
Low back pain is one of the most costly and disabling of all neuromusculoskeletal conditions, affecting over 80% of the population at some point. In fact, at any given moment 7% of adults are experiencing a spell of back pain that will last two weeks or longer.
Sacroiliac (SI) syndrome is a specific form of back pain that affects the area in and around the dimples in the upper buttocks. People with this condition usually experience localized pain in the low back, as well as pain in the groin, hip or back of the thigh, but rarely below the knees. The latter is called referred pain, meaning it travels from the source of the problem to other regions of the body. Those suffering from SI syndrome also commonly experience sharp pain after straightening up from a stooped position, often while lifting an object. Twisting, leaning forward, bending backward and sitting for long periods of time can make the pain worse.
While SI syndrome can begin without warning, it's often a continuation of a similar, milder condition called SI irritation. If people don't seek treatment when they have SI irritation, which mostly manifests as localized pain in the mid-buttocks, the condition can develop into SI syndrome.
Abnormal movement in the sacroiliac joint, a joint comprising two bones, the sacrum and the ilium, generates this pain. You have two ilia, and can feel them if you put your hands on your hips, just below your waist. The bony protrusions on either side are the ilia, which connect to the lower part of the spine, the sacrum. The connections between the bones are the sacroiliac joints.
Research estimates that these joints are responsible for about 10% to 30% of low back problems. Theories postulate that jamming of the joints, hormonal influences and arthritis are responsible, and research also shows that lifting and bending make patients more susceptible to the condition, particularly children, pregnant women and those with a degenerative disease.
All these factors can lead to local inflammation and joint irritation that then lead to pain. With SI syndrome, the irritation and inflammation also affect nerves that provide sensation to other areas, like the thighs, which causes the brain to perceive pain as coming from the lower limb as well as from around the sacroiliac joints.
These symptoms are chronic and aggravating, so you'll want to see your healthcare practitioner as soon as possible if you have SI syndrome. Proper care can provide effective management for the condition, as it can improve joint function, decrease pain and get your low back to its original state.
Anatomy
The spine is a complex part of the human anatomy, composed of three main sections: the cervical at the top, the thoracic in the middle and the lumbar at the bottom.
Below the lumbar spine is the sacrum, an inverted-triangle shaped bone comprising five fused spinal bones, called vertebrae that form the supporting base of the spine. Attached to either side of the sacrum are the ilia, the ear-shaped bone structures in the pelvis you can feel just below your waist.
The sacroiliac joints are the structures between the sacrum and the ilia. Their main purpose is to provide support for a large portion of your body weight and, like every joint in the body, help support the skeletal frame.
Researchers originally believed that the sacroiliac joints weren't synovial (able to move). However, findings now show that the sacroiliac joints are indeed synovial -- they just tend to become more rigid as people get older.
But age isn't the only thing that affects sacroiliac joints. Problems can also occur as a result of abnormal motion in the joints, which may develop after injury or strenuous activity, and pregnancy, when hormonal changes make the joints looser. Another potential cause is a subluxated or stuck sacroiliac joint that isn't moving to its full capacity. When this happens, the stuck joint forces the other one to overwork, which causes it to get irritated. All of these factors can affect the joints' range of motion, and this stresses them and tickles or irritates surrounding nerves.
Another potential cause of sacroiliac (SI) syndrome is leg-length discrepancy, which occurs when one leg is slightly longer than the other. Legs hold up the pelvis, and leg-length discrepancies tilt the pelvis and make it unstable, which in turn places excess stress on the sacroiliac joints.
Regardless of the cause, however, chiropractors are successful at caring for SI syndrome. Using a variety of management techniques, your chiropractor can improve the sacroiliac joints' mobility, decrease pain and address any factors that are contributing to your condition.
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