Sacroiliac joint pain may occur as a result of a direct fall on the buttocks (falling off a ladder at work), an auto accident, or even a blow to the side of your pelvis (slip and fall). A fall on the sacrum is particularly dangerous. The force from these falls can cause small tears in the tough bands of ligamentous tissue that hold the ilium and the sacrum tightly together.  Women are also at risk for developing SI joint problems in pregnancy and after childbirth, due to hormonal changes that “soften” the ligaments.   Sitting is often difficult and painful, especially in the car or at work.  Pain may occur at rest (i.e., lying in bed in the middle of the night).  Bending, lifting and stooping may also be limited or even impossible.  In severe cases, an individual with a sacroiliac joint injury may be locked or “stuck” in a forward or bent position, unable to straighten up. OUCH!

Symptoms of sacroiliac joint fixations:

• Low back pain
• Buttock pain
• Thigh and groin pain
• Sciatic-like pain - pain that travels from the sciatic nerve in the lumbar region into your buttocks, back of the thighs, and sometimes the calf and foot. The pain is typically caused by irritation of the nerve roots that join outside the spine to make up the sciatic nerve. You might feel numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in the leg.

The chiropractic orthopedic care provided by Dr. Dean A. Robinson in our Fallbrook and Temecula chiropractic clinics should be considered the first line of treatment for sacroiliac joint dysfunction.  For patients with lower back pain that arises from the sacroiliac joint, a variety of very effective conservative procedures can be applied, including manual manipulation (adjustments), traction, exercise programs, etc.

Dr. Dean A. Robinson is licensed to practice Chiropractic in California and Nevada, and has been evaluating and treating orthopedic conditions involving the spine and extremities for over 30 years.  He is highly trained and vastly experienced in evaluating and helping patients recover from injuries (including those caused in car accidents and on the job).  With a post-graduate degree in Chiropractic Orthopedics, having completed San Diego Spine Research Institute's post-graduate course "Whiplash: The Masters Certification Program", and as a Qualified Medical Evaluator for the State of California, he can precisely diagnose and treat injuries, as well as provide essential medical reports and documentation needed in work and auto accident cases.