Have you been experiencing stabbing pains in your lower back? Is bending over, turning round, or rolling over into your bed even difficult for you? If this is the case, you might have a sacroiliac joint inflammation, and that is one pain in the back you would gladly do your Christmas holidays without.
Now, you might be wondering what the sacroiliac joints even are. They are two ‘L-shaped’ joints are situated at the lower back, between the pelvic ilium and the sacrum (the small wedge-shaped bone at the bottom of your spine), and are held in place by various muscles and ligaments. Their function is to enable you to move your pelvis – sacroiliac joints get pulled and twisted along the pelvic girdle whenever you move your lower back.
When these joints get infected, they can cause stabbing pains in the lower back, the buttocks, and even the thighs on occasion. This inflammation can occur when one half of the pelvis is constantly driven backwards and forwards, or at times when the joints get stuck.
While small infections of the sacroiliac joints and associated ligaments are quite common, the more sever forms of sacroiliitis tend to occur more frequently with aging. The main causes of sacroiliitis are degenerative arthritis (also known as osteoarthritis of the spine) which leads to the deterioration of the sacroiliac joints; pregnancy, as it forces the pelvis to stretch to accommodate childbirth; or some form of sudden impact or traumatic injury to the spine or pelvic region. But do not worry: sacroiliitis is treatable, as long as you are sure to visit osteopath as soon as you notice any of its defining symptoms.
The most noticeable symptoms of sacroiliac joint inflammation include: – Restricted hip movement (having difficulty turning around or rolling over in bed) – Stiffness in the lower back after long periods of immobility (such after long car journeys) or when waking up in the morning – Difficulty bending down – Pain during sexual intercourse – Sharp pain the thighs when swinging your legs out of bed or out of the car
If you recognize any of these symptoms in your own situation, be sure to visit someone with an in-depth knowledge about the sacroiliac joint, such as an osteopath. To minimize your discomfort temporarily, you are advised to: – Wrap a damp tea towel around an icepack and place it on the painful area for 10-minute intervals, over the course of a half hour, for up to three times a day. – Sleep on your side at night (not your back or stomach) – Place a pillow between your knees while you are in a sedentary position or when lying down. This should take some of the pressure off your pelvis.
Sacroiliac joint inflammation can be extremely uncomfortable, but osteopaths can help you deal with the pain quite effectively through a combination of physical therapy and anti-inflammatory treatments. So as long as you visit your osteopath regularly and take good care of yourself, this upcoming holiday season should be as enjoyable as your last.
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