Our Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion in Dallas Clinic Can Help End Your Back Pain For Good!
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Our minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion in Dallas can help you if you are suffering from lower back pain related to sacroiliac joint dysfunction. An estimated 10% to 25% of those suffering from persistent low back pain below the L5 vertebra are due to the pathology of the sacroiliac joint.
What Is Sacroiliac Joint Pain?
There are two sacroiliac joints in your spine, sitting on each side. They are situated where your pelvis and lower spine connect. These joints support your upper body weight when you walk or stand, and shift the load to your legs.
When one or more of your sacroiliac joints become inflamed, it can result in pain in your lower back or buttocks. Often, you may feel lower back pain only on one side.
It can also extend down to your legs, and prolonged stair climbing or standing for too long can make the pain worse. Other things that can aggravate the pain are bearing more weight on one leg than the other and taking long strides.
There are many reasons for sacroiliac joint dysfunction. They could become injured as a result of a traumatic injury, such as one related to sports or an accident such as a fall.
Your sacroiliac joints may also become damaged due to factors related to aging. The cartilage over this joint may gradually wear away over time. A type of inflammatory arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis might also damage this joint.
Pregnancy may also cause sacroiliac joint pain. This is because hormones are released during pregnancy that makes joints move more as they loosen up. The added weight the joints must bear as well as the altered gait most women are forced to adopt can damage them and cause pain.
Diagnosing Sacroiliac Joint Pain
It can be difficult to diagnose sacroiliac joint pain due to several factors. This joint is located deep inside your pelvis, making it difficult for doctors to detect problems when they conduct a physical exam. It is also easy to mistake sacroiliac joint pain for other conditions such as hip arthritis and sciatica.
Some common tests doctors use to diagnose sacroiliac joint pain during exams include the flamingo test, the cranial shear test, Gaensien’s Test and the Gillet test. If your doctor suspects that you have sacroiliac joint pain, they may request imaging tests such as x-rays or computed tomography. He may also ask for an MRI to rule out conditions that have similar symptoms.
The surest way to identify if the cause of the pain is your sacroiliac joints is by numbing them with an injection. If the pain goes away, then the joint is the cause of the problem. However, this method carries a slight risk and so is used only if they are unable to make a diagnosis using other methods.
Once sacroiliac joint pain has been diagnosed, your physician may prescribe medication such as muscle relaxants and TNF inhibitors to relieve the pain. They may also recommend physical therapy to help you maintain the flexibility of your joints, as well as stabilizing your muscles through strengthening exercises. If these methods do not bring relief, your physician may recommend surgery.
What is Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion?
Minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion surgery is a procedure that is seen to effectively bring relief to patients suffering from lower back pain as a result of sacroiliac joint dysfunction. A survey of patients who underwent this surgery found that after 12 months, a majority of patients had grown bridging bone, resulting in a partial fusion of sacroiliac joint. At 24 months, their sacroiliac joints had successfully fused. As a result, patients with lower back pain enjoyed significant improvement.
The purpose of a sacroiliac joint fusion procedure is to graft the sacrum and the ilium, the two bones between which the sacroiliac joints lie. The surgeon makes small incisions in the buttocks and determines where to perform the procedure.
He then drills holes in these two bones and installs sacroiliac joint fusion screws. These implants will stabilize the joints in order to avoid movement and eliminate pain.
The procedure takes around an hour to complete. Afterward, the patient stays in the hospital for a couple of days, and will be using crutches for around four to six weeks. It may take up to six months before the patient is fully recovered and is able to completely return to their normal routine.
If you are interested in learning more about what is sacroiliac joint fusion and whether it is appropriate for you, contact Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Texas. This spine fusion surgery clinic is based in Plano and is headed by Dr. Scott Kutz.
Dr. Kutz specializes in the treatment of herniated disks, degenerative disk disease and other spinal conditions. He has a special interest in minimally invasive procedures, which require smaller incisions, resulting in less trauma and bleeding, as well as shorter hospital stays.
While the sacroiliac joint fusion surgery cost is high, Dr. Kutz can provide you with reasonable rates. For your convenience, the clinic also offers direct billing with all the major insurance and assistance companies.
Call us today to schedule an appointment or to learn more about how fusion surgery can relieve your back pain and allow you to resume your normal activities! You can get in touch with our Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion in Dallas clinic at 972-244-3491.
