Plano TX Spine Surgeon – Sacroiliac Joint Treatment

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According to Plano TX Spine Surgeon, many people experience sacroiliac joint pain characterized by a sharpshooting or stabbing pain that radiates your pelvis and hips to your lower back. Sometimes, you may feel numbness and tingling sensations in your legs.
Studies show that sacroiliac joint pain affects 15-30% of people, leading to severe and chronic pain in the lower back. About 80% of people in the U.S experience lumbar spine pain during their lives, affecting their day-to-day lives and workplace productivity. Read on!
Sacroiliac Joint Pain
Sacroiliac joint pain results from inflammation in SI joints, a disorder called sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Common symptoms of this disorder include severe pain in the lower back, buttocks, hips, pelvis, and groin.
However, some people have pain limited to one of the sacroiliac joints. Many people experience increased pain when transitioning from a sitting to a standing position and vice versa. You may also experience stiffness in your pelvis or numbness and weakness in your lower back.
Moreover, the pain from your lower back also radiates down into your thighs and upper legs. Many patients feel that their legs no longer support the upper body. Common causes of sacroiliac joint dysfunction or pain are:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a common aging disorder that can lead to complications like SI joint pain. Intense pressure or stress on your SI joints can cause the cartilage to wear, leading to osteoarthritis and severe pain in your lower back, buttocks, and legs.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis is another cause of SI joint pain. It is inflammatory arthritis, affecting your spine’s vertebrae and joints. Besides causing severe pain, ankylosing spondylitis also increases the risk of new bone growth that can fuse your spinal joints.
Gouty Arthritis
According to Plano TX Spine Surgeon, SI joint pain can also result from gout or gouty arthritis, a condition that occurs when you have high blood uric acid levels. Gout is characterized by joint inflammation, pain, and discomfort. Although it affects the large toe in your leg, it can also cause pain in your SI joints.
Sacroiliac Joint Treatment
There are numerous Sacroiliac joint treatment options, such as physical therapy, exercise, occupational therapy, medications, nonsurgical therapies, self-care, and SI surgery performed by Plano TX spine surgeon.
Anti-inflammatory medications are the first line of treatment for SI joints. These medications include NSAIDs, such as naproxen, aspirin, and ibuprofen. Doctors also prescribe muscle relaxants and oral steroids if your pain does not go away with NSAIDs.
In addition, tumor necrosis factor inhibitors are another treatment option for SI joint pain that results from ankylosing spondylitis. Your doctor may also administer corticosteroid injections into your joint to relieve discomfort, inflammation, and pain. Radiofrequency ablation is another effective treatment option to treat SI joint pain.
It uses high-level energy to deactivate or block the nerves that cause pain in your spine. Moreover, low-impact exercises, such as yoga and massage therapy or physical therapy, can also strengthen and stabilize your SI joints, leading to reduce discomfort and pain. You can wear a belt to support your SI joints.
SI Surgery
SI surgery performed through a minimally invasive technique by a Plano TX spine surgeon is an effective treatment option for SI joint pain. The procedure involves grafting one or both sides of the sacrum to the ilium, leading to good bone growth across the SI joint. Remember, this procedure is known as sacroiliac joint fusion.
Fusion of the grafting material takes place during the rehabilitation period after the surgery. Our Plano TX spine surgeon uses implanted instrumentation or bone graft materials to achieve the objective. A minimally invasive procedure is the most common method for SI surgery.
It requires the surgeon to make a small incision in the buttock. On the other hand, surgeons rarely perform open sacroiliac joint fusion surgery because it can cause severe complications and prolong rehabilitation.
Our neurosurgeons at MINT complete the surgery within an hour. Performing SI surgery with a minimally invasive technique leads to lower risks of complications during and after the procedure.
Our Plano TX spine surgeon uses fluoroscopic imaging tools to properly insert instruments in the SI joint. Based on our experience and numerous research studies of high impact factors, we conclude that minimally invasive SI surgery can improve disability scores, reduce pain, and lead to quicker recovery than open SI surgery.
Contact MINT Today
MINT, Plano, TX, is a reputable clinic with experienced neurosurgeons who use different minimally invasive techniques to treat back pain disorders, including SI joint pain. If you have back pain symptoms, the chances are that these are due to SI joint dysfunction. Contact our Plano TX spine surgeon today!