The American healthcare system addresses millions of back pain patients annually. Most of these occurrences occur in the lumbar spine region. However, some individuals experience lower back pain due to the sacroiliac or SI joint. Luckily, there are numerous conservative pain management solutions for SI joint pain, including physical therapy, pain medication, chiropractic care, and more. However, the SI joint discomfort might sometimes be so serious that San Bernardino SI joint surgery is the sole treatment option. Continue reading to learn more.
What Is the SI Joint?
Although the SI joint is not located directly on your spine, it is vital to the function of the spine and lower body. The spine comprises several bones known as vertebrae. These bones originate in the neck and descend to the sacrum. Each side has two sacroiliac joints linking the pelvis to the sacrum. The SI joint assists in supporting the weight of the torso. The joint distributes force to the pelvis and legs, particularly while lifting, walking, or running.
What Are The Effects Of A Compromised SI joint?
Like other joints, the SI joint is susceptible to damage and wear and tear. The joint could also swell, a condition known as sacroiliitis, often due to arthritis, trauma, or pregnancy.
Damage to the joints can result in painful hypermobility or restricted mobility. Individuals with SI joint pain will experience discomfort in the lower back, groin, and buttocks. Long periods of stair climbing, sitting, and standing become difficult. If left unaddressed, pain can extend to bones, muscles, joints, and bones.
Do You Require an SI Fusion?
Unlike common assumptions, physicians do not opt for surgery instantly. Healthcare experts explore all non-surgical therapy methods. In most instances, non-surgical treatment is effective for sacroiliac joint discomfort. Your care plan might include medications, physical therapy, steroid injections, and chiropractic care.
Nonetheless, if non-surgical therapy is unsuccessful, SI fusion could be an alternative. Other grounds for surgery include continuous severe pain or risky joint instability. Both concerns render people incapable of doing routine tasks and necessitate surgical intervention.
What is The objective of SI Fusion?
SI fusion is a minimally invasive surgery that fuses the ilium (tip of the pelvic bone) to the side of your sacrum. Your surgeon might have to perform surgery on both SI joints. This fusion provides a solid structure that will considerably alleviate discomfort.
What To Expect In The Operating Room?
The patient maintains a facedown position under general anesthesia. Your spine surgeon will make tiny cuts on the sides of your buttocks to access the joint. Through this tiny cut, your doctor inserts surgical instruments to provide a better picture of the joint and drills through the pelvic bone to reach the SI joint.
Surgical implants are placed to hold the SI joints together. Sometimes, your surgeon places a bone transplant after the damaged cartilage is removed. Your doctor cleans and shuts the cut. With time, bones fuse.
The recovery period is approximately six months. With stretching, exercise, and physical therapy, most patients return to their daily activities within eight weeks.
SI Joint pain, no matter how mild, warrants medical attention to prevent complications like loss of mobility and chronic discomfort. Often, Dr. Ali H. Mesiwala suggests conservative solutions alleviate your pain, but if these solutions fail, you will require surgery. Schedule an initial consultation today through mobile or book online to discuss your concerns and determine if SI joint fusion surgery is appropriate for you.
