Your Sacramento Chiropractor

The sacroiliac joints make up part of your spinal column. They connect your lower spine to your pelvis. When these joints become inflamed, it causes a condition known as sacroiliitis, which causes buttock pain and lower back pain.

Sacroiliitis can be hard for your doctor to diagnose. The symptoms are similar to other conditions that cause back pain, such as sciatic nerve damage, a herniated disk, or a pulled or strained muscle. A disease called spondyloarthropathies is also similar. Spondyloarthropathies causes inflammatory arthritis in the spine.

Someone with sacroiliitis is likely to experience buttock pain, back stiffness,and possibly pain in the thighs. Other symptoms sometimes include an inflammatory skin condition called psoriasis, a fever and inflammation in one or both eyes.

Walking worsens the pain because it puts pressure on your sacroiliac joints. Many people with this condition walk with a noticeable limp.

There are a lot of different ways to get sacroiliitis. A traumatic injury to the lower back or buttock area is a frequent cause. Being pregnant will stretch the pelvis, which can result in sacroiliitis. Certain types of infections may also be responsible. As mentioned above, arthritis associated with spondyloarthropathies can be another cause.

There are number of options to consider in treating sacroiliitis. The best option depends on how severe the condition has become.

Rest is appropriate in all cases. Your body needs time to heal itself. It also reduces the possibility of aggravation.

Certain exercises will increase your range of motion while relieving pain.

Doctors generally prescribe a number of medications for treating sacroiliitis. Typically, these medications include corticosteroids, NSAIDs, DMARDs and TNF inhibitors.

Corticosteroids work well in reducing pain and limiting inflammation. They also arrest further damage to the joints. But if you use them for an extended period of time, there may be side effects.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS are effective pain relievers because they reduce inflammation and swelling. These drugs have been known to cause side effects such as stomach bleeding, indigestion, high blood pressure and kidney and liver damage.

Stroke and heart attack can also be a side effect in some people, so NSAIDs should only be taken only when recommended by your doctor.

Naproxen and indomethacin are two kinds of NSAIDs that are typically used to treat sacroiliitis.

DMARDs are another type of medication that’s used to limit joint damage. DMARD is an abbreviation for disease modifying antirheumatic drugs. These are most beneficial when used in the early stages of sacroiliitis to help slow it down and prevent permanent damage.

Lastly, there are TNF inhibitors. These reduce stiffness, swelling and pain by blocking a cell protein that can cause inflammation.

Unfortunately, these medications can cost a lot of money, so they’re usually used only as a last resort.

However, sometimes buttock pain and back pain caused by sacroiliitis can be so severe that patients feel the the expense is justified.

Many people who endure aches and pains as they pass into their senior years simply assume such discomfort is a natural part of growing older. You should not make this assumption. Anyone experiencing any type of back pain or buttock pain, especially sacroiliitis should see their doctor for a diagnosis.

As is the case with so many other conditions, sacroiliitis is easier to treat in the beginning before permanent joint damage occurs.

[resource]Related topics: sacroiliitis causes and buttock pain and sciatica. Neal Kennedy is a former TV and radio journalist. To read more of his articles, click on coping with buttock pain.