Sacroiliac joint pain is often an under-recognized cause of pain in your buttocks or groin. The sacroiliac joints are located between the sacrum and pelvic bones. They provide shock absorption and transfer load from the lower body to your upper body. Pain in this area causes immense discomfort.
So, what causes sacroiliac joint pain?
In general, force or repetitive trauma on your sacroiliac joint may result from the activities such as running. But there are other factors, such as a direct fall hurting the area, an autoimmune disorder attacking your joint, and pregnancy.
Here’s everything to know about this condition’s diagnosis and treatment.
Diagnosis of Sacroiliac Joint Pain
The diagnosis of this condition is tricky in many cases. The symptoms often overlap other causes like a herniated disc in the spine or hip arthritis. Moreover, special tests for this joint pain are not a slam-dunk for the condition.
When you visit your doctor for the diagnosis, they carry out an MRI. But in some cases, even conducting an MRI may exclude this condition. Sometimes, it may rule out pain from the lumbar spine or pelvis.
An injection is sometimes administered to diagnose the problem, followed by its treatment.
What does the Treatment of Sacroiliac Joint Injection include?
The treatment of this problem depends upon the gravity of pain or discomfort that you may be experiencing. In general, doctors recommend simple treatments after diagnosis and watch your case. They may even recommend physiotherapy consisting of mobility and strengthening exercises. Another sought-after treatment for this condition includes soft tissue therapy. A brace supporting the joint is equally helpful, especially if the pain has arisen from pregnancy.
But if the above-listed remedies do not work to treat your condition, the doctor may recommend a sacroiliac joint injection.
How Does Sacroiliac Joint Injection help with Pain?
When nothing comes to your rescue, you may be given a sacroiliac joint injection, which is a conservative therapy for the treatment. This therapy is designed to help you relieve the SI joint pain so that you can shortly resume your daily activities.
The injection helps to numb your nerves, thus stopping the bouts of pain and relieving you of all the discomfort. Therapeutic SI joint injections are different from diagnostic injections as they intend to provide weeks or months of pain relief from the condition.
A therapeutic sacroiliac injection comprises a mixture of local anesthetic and corticosteroid. The anesthetic aims to offer immediate pain relief, while the presence of corticosteroids helps to provide longer-term relief by reducing inflammation. Just like a Botox injection for migraine relieves your headache, a therapeutic SI injection helps you manage the excruciating joint pain.
Do the Effects of the Injection Last long?
The effects of the injection or the duration of pain relief may vary from person to person. In some cases, its effects may last for months, but in other cases, they may last only for weeks or even days. Some patients receive multiple therapeutic SI joint injections for several years to manage the pain, while others only get rid of the problem after a few shots.
In some cases, the relief may last many months, and after multiple injections, the duration of relief may become shorter. It is when the doctor combines a sacroiliac joint injection with a piriformis injection to attain better results.
Takeaway
Sacroiliac joint pain is perceived as a common and under-reported cause of buttock pain. We advise you to visit a doctor immediately if you experience any symptoms such as pain or inflammation in your lower buttock region. You may experience relief within a few shots of injection only.
Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
