Okay, so you bent over and you can't stand up. Hurts like crazy, it doesn't stop. Even while you sleep it pains you. Specially when you turn over and one leg drags over and you have a shot of pain in the hip that couldn't get any worse. Oh, and you may also have sciatica, but this is just a side effect from the muscles and ligaments holding your pelvis in a self-bracing position being torked across the sciatic nerve. And when you talk to the doctors, they ask "Where's the pain" and you say, "My whole pelvis hurts and its not in the same place everyday" they will look at you like you've gone simple in the head. But they do an MRI to humor you and discover an L4-5 and S1 problem, L5 herniated, and they blame all your pains on this. They might do PT which of course makes it worse most of the time, or it will just stay the same. Then they'll suggest surgery, fusion most likely, and when you're supposed to have recovered from it, you still have pain. This is when they say, "Get used to the Pain, this is all we can do for you".
Then you start looking around on the web and you find SIJD, and just maybe, maybe????????
............fusions are forever....................
Okay, so you bent over and you can't stand up. Hurts like crazy, it doesn't stop. Even while you sleep it pains you. Specially when you turn over and one leg drags over and you have a shot of pain in the hip that couldn't get any worse. Oh, and you may also have sciatica, but this is just a side effect from the muscles and ligaments holding your pelvis in a self-bracing position being torked across the sciatic nerve. And when you talk to the doctors, they ask "Where's the pain" and you say, "My whole pelvis hurts and its not in the same place everyday" they will look at you like you've gone simple in the head. But they do an MRI to humor you and discover an L4-5 and S1 problem, L5 herniated, and they blame all your pains on this. They might do PT which of course makes it worse most of the time, or it will just stay the same. Then they'll suggest surgery, fusion most likely, and when you're supposed to have recovered from it, you still have pain. This is when they say, "Get used to the Pain, this is all we can do for you".
Then you start looking around on the web and you find SIJD, and just maybe, maybe????????
............fusions are forever....................
Man I hope you're wrong. I'm @ 16 months post op L5S1, and just getting back to my job. Still have a world of pain, but I'm dealing with it better these day's. I don't think I'll ever get back to where I was though...It's been a tough go. Good luck!
I'm "full of joy" that the mods allowed you to post the Spine University.COM site and subsequent info on SI joint/Lumbar quandry!! I ran across that wonderful site some time ago--the information is unlimited and extremely helpful.
Granted not every back ache is going to be SIJD, but there are certain indicators that point first to what brought on the problem in the first place. First is posture, bad posture. Weak abdominal muscles being the biggest indicator for a back ache suddenly happening, which upsets the self-bracing mechanism of the pelvic girdle. More severe SIJD problems come when you've been in a car accident. And what about your feet? Got some arch problems? How about a hernia in the groin?
You know there are also problems with muscles and tendons that will stress the spine and discs that a fusion won't touch. Just that I see so many people here having this done and then still being in pain. There's a woman at work who's husband had the L4-5 & S1 fused, then still with pain back there, they went up another level and fused that. Then he got neck pain and so they fused C5,6 & 7. Then he started to get pain in his hips. No doubt!!!!
Did they ever really address his posture? No. It sucks, I know because I've seen him. He's pudgey around the middle, out of shape and one other thing, he lets his head just kinda hang out front. So his posture over the years has brought this on for him. So it has with some of my problem too. Weak abs, and poor posture. Throw in a wee jostle to the body and something goes out of whack.
Hi Terra,
It seems that it would be easier for a physician to rule out SIJD before jumping to extreme measures of spine surgery. That's what I mean when I say that I've become extremely proactive in my treatment, in getting the MD to pay attention to my suggestions for MY body.
You certainly ratify the fact that all to often there is a missed diagnosis in people who suffer from sacroiliac joint disfunction. Good for you for 'soldiering' that cause. Good for you for telling all, to explore that possibility. Good for you for strongly explaining other options. That's what I mean by passing on valuable information to people on this board!
The reason why SIJD is ruled out is because unless you have such a horrid dysfunction going on, like one hip higher than the other, like one of the newest posters, Jon the analyst, they don't see it on MRI or x-ray. And gee, I think they make more money doing the surgery than they would getting you fixed up by doing appropriate corrections to the SI joints. I mean really, look at how it stacks up. Money is money. Pretty lucrative being a surgeon these days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlo2
Hi Terra,
It seems that it would be easier for a physician to rule out SIJD before jumping to extreme measures of spine surgery. That's what I mean when I say that I've become extremely proactive in my treatment, in getting the MD to pay attention to my suggestions for MY body.
You certainly ratify the fact that all to often there is a missed diagnosis in people who suffer from sacroiliac joint disfunction. Good for you for 'soldiering' that cause. Good for you for telling all, to explore that possibility. Good for you for strongly explaining other options. That's what I mean by passing on valuable information to people on this board!
I am a teenager and was diagnosed with scoliosis in August of 2006, my curve was at 22 degrees and the doctor recomended a boston brace so I took his recomendation and wore the brace until about January when it quiet fitting because I has grown so much,that was the worst 5 months of my life. The brace was ugly,embrassing,hot,and painful. I was casted about one week ago for a new brace and it is now ready(Picking it up tommorow). I have been reaserching SIJD and Scoliosis and have learned that sometimes Scolisis is misdiagnosed,it is acutaly SIJD. I read about SIJD and I have all the symptoms. I don't want to wear this brace and not acutaly even have Scoliosis. So I was wondering do you think this is possible? And if it is how is it treated? And how do I find somebody to treat it? Any comments would be very much aperciated.
Thanks,
Tori
I would suggest that you go to another 'orthopaedic spine specialist' for a second opinion. Mention 'stuff' that you've read, and tell them that you feel that your pain might suggest other diagnosis.
Just recently I found out, by getting another opinion, that I had been treated for the wrong diagnosis for 8 months. It happens, especially with back issues.
Be proactive in your treatment, no matter what your age.
You seem to know alot about the corrections. If you don't mind, I have a few. Should you keep doing corrections even if it looks like you are aligned in the mirror? (shoulders even, hips even)?
Also, how do you do a posterior pelvic tilt?
What core exercises do you do and how often? Daily, weekly, 3 times a day, etc?
You seem to know alot about the corrections. If you don't mind, I have a few. Should you keep doing corrections even if it looks like you are aligned in the mirror? (shoulders even, hips even)?
Also, how do you do a posterior pelvic tilt?
What core exercises do you do and how often? Daily, weekly, 3 times a day, etc?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Gordo,
Sorry it took so long to get back to you, been a bit busy here. What are your corrections for the SI's, always good to know a few more, just in case. I only sometimes have them go out on me since getting into PT, and learning a couple of new ones after I got into the car accident. The place where I go had an employee go to a seminar for pelvic and hip disorders and did a seminar at their various locations. John, my PT, thought that several of them would work for me since I got whiplash and a brachial plexus injury in the accident. They worked just as well to strengthen the muscles that needed to hold me together.
The posterior pelvic tilt is basically making your hips move under you, rather than behind your center of gravity. Much of the problem is muscle use, which ones will give you the best posture with the least effort. The easiest way to explain is to be lying on a fairly firm surface, on your stomach, with a pillow under your pelvis. Now reach around to the small of your back, laying a finger lengthwise in the groove of your spine. Now find the muscles that when you tense them, deepen the groove that your finger is lying in. This is the multifidus. The idea is to be able to tense this muscle across the sacrum, to strengthen the low back, while you are also engaging the abs. The way he described it to me was, pull the tummy in at the belly button like you are putting on a really tight pair of jeans. And at the same time, to also engage the pelvic floor muscles. Because all of these are connected as they are part and parcel core muscles.
As for how often, he said to start 8 second engagements 100 times a day. Well for me at that point was impossible because of my other injuries. But I did start doing some, several times a day. And then working at it while I walked. Worked great. Although I've had some major pain problems with the neck and arm and now I have developed a winging scapula which is a major problem as well.
Hope this helps.
Hello!
when i went for my 2 levels fusion, and other surgical procedures they never knew my SI Joint had a problem too, despite the fact that i had EVERY test they have before the surgery. The problem with SI Joint that no test can determen that you have any problems there. A really good Doctor can evaluate you if he suspects it is your SI joint, but most of them blame your other problems to your back pain.
Anyway, when they opened me up - my SI Joint had to be fused and i had metal clips all over my pelvic. I presume you want to know how am i doing how?
My surgery fell and am facing another one. I know i need a 3 level done now, but what will they do with my SI J now - not sure. But pain is there, can't seat, some days can't step on that leg at all, pain in hip/bottock/leg is always there... PT does nothing good to me at this point. I move as much as my body lets me, push myself to the limits - that is what i do right now.
Just make sure you are in a good hands and good luck to you. :-)
Unfortunately this is what happens when you don't luck out with a doctor who knows what they're looking at. The fusions are because your pelvis can't flex like it was made to. And it works its way up the spine. This is a cycle you really want to try to reverse by removing the screws from the SI joints.
And you're wrong, there is a test that can determine how your SI's are rotated. My PT did this when I was first evaluated for the Piriformis. He found my left SI was rotated anteriorly and this was adding to my pain in the low back. They measure from behind by putting the fingers on specific spots (bone ridges and points) and instruct you to bend forward. How the bones move under their hands tells it all. The PT I did was all supine and geared to strengthen the buttocks, hips and trunk muscles. I did nothing to make the pelvis rock, like on an eliptical machine or bike. I stopped doing stairs as this makes the pelvis rock unevenly. There were days my Piriformis muscle got irritated, but that would pass. So you might want to check out the Piriformis as a source of pain, as it will cause the hip to rotate outwardly. And so you'll have the pain there as well.
I know: by fixing one thing - another suffers when it comes to your core.
I was actually talking about Bilateral Sacroiliitis. And i also was talking about tests like MRI or CT - nothing shows on ex-ray if you got this condition.
After my car accident it showed my other extensice damages in my spine, but SIJ problem they saw only during the surgery.
Doctor who was familiar with this condition evaluatated me in 5 minutes: when you have this condition - most symptoms is in your bottock and hip (goes down to leg sometimes, but not like sciatica) and some days you can't even step on your leg at all. I never knew that my hip making clicking noice when moves due to BSacroiliitis.
I know: by fixing one thing - another suffers when it comes to your core.
I was actually talking about Bilateral Sacroiliitis. And i also was talking about tests like MRI or CT - nothing shows on ex-ray if you got this condition.
After my car accident it showed my other extensice damages in my spine, but SIJ problem they saw only during the surgery.
Doctor who was familiar with this condition evaluatated me in 5 minutes: when you have this condition - most symptoms is in your bottock and hip (goes down to leg sometimes, but not like sciatica) and some days you can't even step on your leg at all. I never knew that my hip making clicking noice when moves due to BSacroiliitis.
Sacroiliitis is actually an condition of inflammation, not a true dysfunction where the joints slip out of their rightful places. Sometimes an infection is present with sacroiliitis because of a break in the tissues, like when in a car accident. If you still have all this pain after the surgery then you were probably not fixated in a correct position prior to. PT will not work with you at this point because there is no way to fix a fixed in place joint. And the hip clicking, sounds like the muscles that rotate and hold the hip firmly in the joint are stretching and allowing movement.
Thank you for your reply. I know that something is wrong, i hope during my second surgery they will look into this also and it will be helped.
how do you feel now?
Thank you for your reply. I know that something is wrong, i hope during my second surgery they will look into this also and it will be helped.
how do you feel now?
Not too bad. The hips are still unstable to a point. The shoulder and neck injuries really set me back some, because some of the muscles that connect the sacrum to the spine are not working. This is due to a damaged long thoracic nerve, which is causing a winging scapula by reason of paralysis of muscles in the back. Amazing how everything is connected.
It is amazing. My right knee needs to be replaced and the other one needs a surgery. I asked my Doctor what is going on with them, why did they get so bad. He said that the way i walk due to my back problems and due to me not able to bend (i squad) it killed the knees. And as bad as they are right now no reason to fix them now if the back is still not good because they will go bad again! So hopefuly after my second back surgery than i can take care about my knees. He said when your core is bad (spine) other bones /joints get involved too.
Good luck to you, i hope tomorrow will be better, right?
Okay, so you bent over and you can't stand up. Hurts like crazy, it doesn't stop. Even while you sleep it pains you. Specially when you turn over and one leg drags over and you have a shot of pain in the hip that couldn't get any worse. Oh, and you may also have sciatica, but this is just a side effect from the muscles and ligaments holding your pelvis in a self-bracing position being torked across the sciatic nerve. And when you talk to the doctors, they ask "Where's the pain" and you say, "My whole pelvis hurts and its not in the same place everyday" they will look at you like you've gone simple in the head. But they do an MRI to humor you and discover an L4-5 and S1 problem, L5 herniated, and they blame all your pains on this. They might do PT which of course makes it worse most of the time, or it will just stay the same. Then they'll suggest surgery, fusion most likely, and when you're supposed to have recovered from it, you still have pain. This is when they say, "Get used to the Pain, this is all we can do for you".
Then you start looking around on the web and you find SIJD, and just maybe, maybe????????
............fusions are forever....................
Fore Ever you are so right after L5-S1 Fusion still in pain then 2 years latter L3-4 To L5 fusion now my hip which for 12 years of pain and popping still low back pain and I go back to a therapist from 12 years ago and he is reading his notes and tells me that I have Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction in which is the same thing he told me before sense looking at me while sitting my left knee is setting out 2 inches beyond my other knee!!
Fusion L3-S1 I pray that God would send a host of angles around you!!
Wayne B.
Re: Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction 
Re: Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction 
