Most people are not familiar with the sacroiliac joint or SI joint. Most commonly patients erroneously refer to it as their hip joint. You have two SI joints, one on either side of your sacrum.

Your pelvis is your center of gravity, and is responsible for bearing the brunt of your weight with walking, lifting, and moving. So, with this joint having to do so much work, it has to withstand lots of force and is so built to do this.

On occasion this joint does not quite work right, and can cause considerable amounts of back pain that can literally stop a person in their tracks. It is estimated that problems with the SI joint may account for up to half of all low back pain cases.

So, what causes dysfunction in this joint? Here is a list of common causes:

– Fall to buttock(s)
– Misjudged step (e.g. off curb, stairs, etc.)
– Prolonged bending, stooping, squatting, etc. Overuse & fatigue.
– Pregnancy (ligamentous laxity & altered load)
– leg/foot problems (leg length discrepancy, pronation syndrome)
– Asymmetrical loading (e.g. sitting on wallet, etc.)
– Secondary injury

How would you know if your SI joint is the cause of your back pain? Presentation can vary from person to person, but in general looks like this:

– local pain around the SI joint, possibly radiating to buttock or groin
– referred pain to thigh, usually not past the knee, and a vague feeling of numbness or tingling in the thigh
– pain may be aggravated by weight bearing, moving from sitting to standing, bending.

As a doctor, I must advise you that if you are having any pain that radiates, that it should never be ignored and you should consult your chiropractor immediately.

As a chiropractor here in Denver, I manage problems with the SI joint almost on a daily basis. The beauty of this problem, is that chiropractic adjustments can do wonders for this condition. I’ve had patients have their pain cut in half with just one adjustment.

Now every patient responds differently to treatment, but in general, 2-3 weeks of treatment is all that it takes to resolve the problem.

Being a Denver chiropractor, I enjoy treating the SI joint. First of all, it can cause lots pain, and second, it is an easily treatable condition.

In Health,

Dr. Trent Artichoker MS, DC

Denver Chiropractic, LLC
3890 Federal Blvd Unit 1
Denver, CO 80211

303-455-2225