# Sacroiliac joint injury?



## The_rydster (Sep 27, 2006)

I've had problems with my lower left back since about 18 when I did something nasty down there and was limping around for about 2 weeks in agony. Ever since then it has always felt like a weak point, but I have since been ok with soccer, riding, running etc

So something flared up down there after me doing quite a lot of miles at the end of last year. Felt like a torn glut, buy may have been back. 1 month off then slowly build back up the miliage then a few months later it started hurting so bad again.

In agony when siting and trying to sleep. Pain radiating all over my left buttock and lower back. Have been just doing a few miles communting to work and it has slowly been feeling better. Did 2 hours of MTB at the weekend and it has set it back again, but not to the point where it is agony again.

Physio thinks it is the Sacroiliac joint and not say the piniformis.

I've got some core strength stuff to do and back exercises.

Personally I think the ligaments in the SI joint are stretched and weak and the core will only help a bit.

Something is not right in my pelvis/lower back area. If I stand on the offending side and lean over like a cycling position, I get a feeling of deep fatigue under the buttock. On the other side it feels good.

My general flexibility is not too bad, and I do not think my core strength is bad, but it is really frustrating. Maybe I should just take 6 weeks off a bike totally and rebuilt; try and run a bit although the Physio said running was worse for the joint.


----------



## mlepito (May 1, 2007)

When SI joints get injured they usually lock in either flexion or extension which torques the pelvis. Ask the PT if he can manipulate the stuck joint. If not, you may want to see a chiropractor.


----------



## oldnoob (Apr 7, 2008)

get an MRI. because it sounds like the exact symptoms of a herniated/bulging disc. ie: radiating pain, etc. I thought i had a pulled glute muscle for months and it just wasn't getting better. MRI showed disc herniation at the disc where the nerve roots are for the glute/hip area. 

If you really want to get it taken care of asap, you must get an MRI, it doesn't speculate or assume like doctors, psyios and people on public forums  It will also show problems with the SI joint if there is one. 
Improper rehab can cause the problem to linger and linger for a long ass time with more 'flare ups' each time limiting range of motion more and more.


----------



## The_rydster (Sep 27, 2006)

Thanks for the replies guys.

Don't think it is a disk issue; the Physio can see that the SI is a problem when I bend.

I think you are right mlepito - it is stuck in one position. I'm going back at the weekend and the more experienced Physio is gonna try and manipulate it.

Years ago when I first did it, I found that a twisting stretch lying on my back with my leg over to one side helped sort it out; so I'm gonna do that a few times a day now.


----------



## unclekittykiller (Mar 1, 2006)

i agree 100% with oldnoob. get an MRI. as long as you have health insurance, what can it hurt? you'll get an answer as to exactly what is going on and then (and only then) you can focus on the proper rehab/surgery, whatever the case may be. don't be a fool like me and just speculate what the problem might be. 

i have a similar story to yours, injured my back as a young teen and have always had problems since. never saw a doctor about it, thought i would just "tough it out". never seemed to get any better though. tons of spectulation on my part as to what exactly what the problem was but never actually looked into it properly. long story short, it's been bothering me so much lately (i'm in my 30's now) that my wife had to convince me to get an MRI. can you guess what i found? not 1, but 2 herniated discs. freaking dummy. if i hadn't been so bull headed and just gone to the doctor 18 years ago, i could have had this problem resolved long ago. now i've had to have 2 epidurals and daily PT for the last couple months, and i've not had much motivation to get back on the bike. but at least i know now what the problem is, and i know that i'm finally taking the right steps to the recovery of a problem that i've now dealt with for more than half my life.

learn from my mistakes and don't delay your progress. you'll be thankfull later on. today's medical tech has the capabilities to pinpoint the problem without having to ask a bunch of stangers online what they "think" might be wrong with your body.


----------



## mlepito (May 1, 2007)

I also agree that an MRI is a good idea, however don't be fooled. A true SI joint injury will not show up on MRI. So if it comes back negative for disc injury, that doesn't mean you're ok and you don't need therapy.


----------



## The_rydster (Sep 27, 2006)

Thanks guys.

An MRI may have to wait for a while...I'm changing jobs and hemispheres very soon!

I'm convinced it is the SI though.

I'm gonna do some easy cycling and running now, with an SI belt.

I'll give it a few months and of it is still hurting I'll peruse it further.

I had always assumed cycling was something one can do no matter how knacked one's body is from old sports injured etc; that one could always rely on it being there.

It is kind of humbling and also scary having what may or may not be a long term problem.


----------



## unclekittykiller (Mar 1, 2006)

mlepito said:


> I also agree that an MRI is a good idea, however don't be fooled. A true SI joint injury will not show up on MRI. So if it comes back negative for disc injury, that doesn't mean you're ok and you don't need therapy.


MRI may show some other type of injury as well. This could be something completely unrelated to either a disc or SI joint, since this is still only speculation. I had an X-ray done at the time of my MRI to see if there was any other structural issues going on as well.


----------



## The_rydster (Sep 27, 2006)

**Bump**

Well I got an MRI of my lumbar spine ~4 weeks ago. It shows some facet joint wear, two lowest disks are a bit squashed and one disk is very slightly asymetric. No herniations etc, just wear and tear of an active person my doc says. 

So my Doc says I 'shouldn't' be having this pain around the left SI area in my back. He's taking the attitude of 'case closed' He is a 'denier' that the SI can become dysfunctional...I'm sure I have done something to it otoh...something is not right. I'm in pain just sitting down right now.

I've tried 'resetting' it myself, but it - or somthing - feels like it is not 'releasing' around that area. I used to be able to get a 'click and a clunk' by twisting my pelvis w/ one leg doing a scissor position. This was lower down than the facet joints. Now it feels solid but still hurts.

My physio is a 'denier' but he seemed more open minded about SI issues. He told me to work on my flexibility and said improve motor control by doing these movements where I roll my pelvis forward...this seems to agrivate something so I stopped that.


----------



## mlepito (May 1, 2007)

The_rydster said:


> **Bump**
> 
> Well I got an MRI of my lumbar spine ~4 weeks ago. It shows some facet joint wear, two lowest disks are a bit squashed and one disk is very slightly asymetric. No herniations etc, just wear and tear of an active person my doc says.
> 
> ...


I stick my my original post, stating that SI joint issues don't show up on MRI. Have you seen a chiropractor? It sounds like were trying to self-adjust already. Maybe you should have a professional adjustment. I don't see how your doc and PT both don't think the SI joint could cause the pain. It is very very common.


----------



## The_rydster (Sep 27, 2006)

mlepito said:


> I stick my my original post, stating that SI joint issues don't show up on MRI. Have you seen a chiropractor? It sounds like were trying to self-adjust already. Maybe you should have a professional adjustment. I don't see how your doc and PT both don't think the SI joint could cause the pain. It is very very common.


Yeah I think you are right. I'll see if my physio can do that first. I'm a bit prejudiced against chiropractors...the whole mumbo jumbo thing. If my left SI has slack ligaments I'm screwed though right 'cos its permantly unstable and no muscles as such can compensate. I'm perhaps stretching a bit here but is my only option prolotherapy ?


----------



## clutch_08 (May 5, 2009)

yup sound like a a herniated disc i had it it sucked was out for over a year most pain i have ever been in.


----------



## dio5 (Jul 30, 2012)

@The_rydster Have you found the root of your issue?


I'm getting an experience just like you described 'Something is not right in my pelvis/lower back area. If I stand on the offending side and lean over like a cycling position, I get a feeling of deep fatigue under the buttock.' so I'm interested in what you found...


----------



## SkiMtb (Apr 22, 2012)

I've had a lot of SI issues over the years. Lots of pain in the joint area, radiating sciatica, stiffness, etc. 

Chiropractic, yoga, foam roller work, core strengthening and very deep tissue massage are really the only things that have helped it. Last year I had a terrible fall directly on the joint that set me back quite a bit, but I have full function now after a winter's worth of work. It will still always be the weak link in my body, but if I stay on top of it I can stay somewhat limber. Good luck!


----------



## HelloMyNameIsSean (Sep 14, 2011)

I'd just like to add to this. I've had the same symptom's you described for the past 8 months. I got an MRI and I have L3/L4/L5/S1 herniations and degeneration. 

But to the point I'd like to make is that on top of the SI joints, there is the 'pubis symphonis' which is a joint by your taint. Which will also slip out of place along with the SI joints. My P.T at the time was adjusting that before adjusting the SI joints. 

He would put his forearm inbetween my knees and make me squeeze and it would crack. Than the SI joints seemed to be more free to crack back into place. I've found that with a firm pillow, or a foam roller, you can replace someones forearm. It's worth a shot.


----------



## BikerJen (Feb 9, 2009)

Does any physician in your area do SI Joint injections???? They can injected steroid into the joint to help reduced inflammation. Also has your PT shown you exercises to help strengthen other muscles to help relieve the burden on the SI Jt?


----------

