People who experience chronic pain in the sacroiliac joint (SI joint) of the spine often have difficulty standing or walking for an extended period of time. The SI joint allows you to perform two of humankind’s most basic functions: stand and walk. Without this joint, you would not be mobile. Since the SI joint plays such an important role in our daily lives, having a spine condition that negatively affects this joint can cause an immediate decrease in quality of life.
BEST Health System understands the frustration you feel about the limited mobility you experience from your SI joint condition. Our minimally invasive SI joint fusion procedure aims to alleviate the pain associated with an SI joint condition and treat the condition at its source.
Advantages of Our Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
If you are suffering from chronic lower back pain and have been diagnosed with an SI joint condition, the following list highlights the advantages of choosing BEST:
- No lengthy recovery
- Patient satisfaction score of 98%
- Board-certified surgeons
- Less than 1-inch incision
- Outpatient procedure
- 98 out of 100 patient recommendation rate
BEST Health System’s Minimally Invasive SI Joint Fusion Procedure
The SI joint is located at the bottom of your spine and is responsible for connecting your spine to your pelvis. Specifically, the SI joint connects the sacrum to the left and right hip bones. The lumbar spine is immediately above the SI joint, which is the reason why most people confuse SI joint pain with lumbar pain. The purpose of the SI joint is to stabilize the spine and allow it to remain strong and upright when standing, running, or walking. Imagine the SI joint as the base of the spine; it needs to be strong to support all of the vertebrae and discs that make up the spine.
When a spine condition affects the SI joint, daily activities such as walking and standing become extremely painful and difficult. The goal of our minimally invasive SI joint fusion procedure is to decompress the nerve that is affected in the lower area of the spine and then immediately stabilize the spine to help patients return to their normal daily activities.
During the procedure, the surgeon will enter the SI joint through a small incision in the back. Through this incision and with the help of special instruments, the surgeon will fuse together the sacrum and the pelvis to stabilize the spine and decompress the affected nerve. We are confident that our SI joint fusion will help you find relief from the chronic lower back pain and limited mobility that you experience with SI joint conditions.
Common Causes of SI Joint Pain
There are several causes of SI joint pain. The best way to determine your cause is to have an MRI taken of your SI joint and lumbar area so we can complete a comprehensive analysis of your spine. The most common causes of SI joint pain include:
- Arthritis of the spine
- Spondylolisthesis
- Injury from a fall or misstep
- Previous failed lumbar fusion
- Uneven length in legs
- Uneven hip alignment
- Pregnancy
- Other common spine conditions
For a complete analysis of the type of spine condition you have and the severity of the condition, we suggest you schedule an in-person physical and MRI review so we can help you determine the best treatment option for your special needs.
Common Symptoms
The most common symptom treated by our minimally invasive SI joint fusion is pain in the SI joint itself. This pain can also radiate pain to the surrounding areas, such as the hips and buttocks. The most common areas where this pain is seen include:
- Thighs
- Buttocks
- Pelvis
- Lower back
- Hips
Other symptoms of SI joint disease include:
- Difficulty walking or standing
- Limited range of motion
- Stiffness in lower back
- Pain that increases with sudden movements
- Pain that decreases when lying down
BEST Health System
If you are interested in learning more about the minimally invasive procedures offered through BEST, contact our team. Our board-certified surgeons specialize in minimally invasive procedures which allow patients to avoid the lengthy recovery period. Get started on your path to recovery today. The BEST is yet to come.
