Sacroiliac Joint Pain

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jazzigwen

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I am 27 yrs old. I was in a t-bone car accident in january 2009. About 2 hours after the accident I started having low back pain. I went to a local immediate care and was diagnosed with a low back strain. I was given muscle relaxers and pain killers. I took them and the pain was pretty much gone for about 3 days. A few weeks later I went to my family doctor complaining of severe low back pain and leg pain. He too diagnosed me with a lurabar strain and recommended physical therapy. I was prescribed more drugs including prednisone. The pain got worse and worse. I had an x-ray and mri done. Both came back negative. My doctor then sent me to a physiatrist (pain management doctor) who diagnosed me with a sacroiliac joint injury. He gave me a cortisone injection. After 2 days I thought I was completely healed but my pain returned after a week. A month later I was given a 2nd injection yet I have no relief. The only good thing that came from the injections is my leg pain has eased up about 80%. I started another round of physical therapy and occasionally i get slight relief from that.
I'm wondering if anyone else has had these injections and what they experienced after them. I'm also trying to find someone who has recovered from this injury. I have been chatting with dozens of people and have yet to come across someone who has fully recovered. I'm starting to worry I will have this pain forever.:confused:
 
Hi! I have sacroiliac pain, but it is from bad arthritis, not from injury. I receive injections, maybe twice a year, and they have helped. A couple years back I went through a bad time with my arthritis, and my physiatrist injected my SI joints 3 times, every other month. This seemed to knock the inflammation down enough to settle my pain down to a bearable level. I also have issues in the lurabar area, so it is not just the SI joints. I have done some PT, which has helped too. Hope you start to feel better soon. Take care, Kera4
 
I had SI joint pain a few years back. I had x-ray taken which confirmed it was my SI joint. I did not do anything to cause this pain, it just happened while I was making up the bed. The SI joint can just wear out sometimes. I went to a orthopedic surgeon and he told me it would go away in time, and it did, it took about 2 months while I could hardly walk it hurt so bad, but in time, it just went away. I did not take anything but ibuprofen 800 mg.

Sunny
 
I had an SI joint injury during surgery (for another problem entirely). The injections never did it for me. Like you, they only lasted one week. And it took like 6 weeks to schedule an injection that gave me one week of pain control. I finally decided on a radio-frequency ablation (RFA) of the SI nerves. This is a procedure that provides relief for anywhere from 8 months to 2 years. The nerves do regenerate with time. I have had 3 done and they are the only thing that has saved my quality of life. Most sophistocated pain-management centers do the procedure under light sedation and with pain control. As I live in Maryland, I go to a major teaching hospital (Johns Hopkins pain center) to have mine done. I also do PT regularly and take Lyrica twice daily and also Percocet as needed. Hope this is helpful. I was also afraid that I would have to live with horrible pain for forever. I think that for most of us long-term SI joint sufferers, there is no one single cure and you have to use a nuraber of tools.
 
I know exactly what you mean. Can you tell me what the RFA procedures are like? Do you feel pain during or after? Thanks for posting.
 
Thank you all for the posts. I would like to add a few things that I think may be helpful for others with si joint pain. I went to physical therapy last night and my therapist worked on the tissues right where the si joint is located. It was so intensely painful that I literally teared up and almost cried but I didn't say anything. I let him do his thing. Today, I have virtually no pain. I was sore last night but it was a good sore, like after a good workout. My therapist listens to my complaints. I guide him as to where the pain is and he works on it. I think it is very important to have a therapist that cares about you and what you are going through. It is uncomfortable having someone work in the area of the si joint but it is well worth it.
If anyone currently goes to physical therapy can you tell me what your therapist does to help you?
Thanks:)
 
Hi! Also, my PT has given me gentle stretches for the SI joint. And she worked with me on core stomach strengthening exercises. But, to do those, I have found, my pain level neeRAB to come down a bit. If I start the exercises too soon when everything is inflammed, it can make it worse. I usually try to do the exercises once things are on the mend. Kera4
 
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