SI Joint Pain Relief and Treatment Options

If you have been suffering with lower back pain that runs down into the hip and legs then you may be suffering from SI Joint pain. You are not alone, around 25% of Americans with low back pain are thought to be suffering from sacroiliac joint pain. There are a few different treatment options out there that can be considered but it is important to visit a spine specialist in order to determine what the best treatment plan would be for you.

Dr. Joel Siegal can help If you are not sure if you are suffering from sacroiliac joint pain or what the best treatment option is for you. Dr. Siegal can test and diagnose you in order to determine the true cause of your pain and to determine the best course of treatment.

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What is the best treatment for SI (Sacroiliac) pain relief?

If you have been diagnosed with SI Joint dysfunction, then you know that the pain it causes makes moving nearly impossible. SI Joint pain can cause your life to slow or even stop completely. It makes it hard to do just about anything.

It’s important to know that your sacroiliac joint pain is unique to you and visiting a spine specialist is the best way to get a custom treatment plan. At Key Clinics ,we can work with you to determine the best treatment plan possible. Your treatment may be a combination of things including:

Home Remedies for Sacroiliac Joint Pain Relief

Home remedies are usually a starting point for most people that are not ready to go to the doctor or for people who have scheduled an appointment that is still a week or two away. Some home remedies that may give a little sacroiliac joint pain relief include:

• Rest - bed rest may be recommended but it is important to get up and move around every so often so that you do not get stiff.
• Using Ice and Heat - applying ice and heat to the lower back can help reduce inflammation, pain, and tightened muscles.
• Stop Eating Foods the Cause Inflammation - foods like sugar, processed meat, vegetable oils, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, and artificial trans fats can cause inflammation that may lead to more pain. 

Medications

Medications are a good way to relieve pain in the short term but they are not the best long term treatment out there. Some medications your doctor might recommend are:

• ‍OTC’s - or over the counter medications are a quickly accessible short term solution to SI Joint pain. Pain relievers like acetaminophen or anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen may work for mild or moderate pain but they may not fully reduce severe pain.
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• Prescription Medications - prescription medications may be prescribed when the patient is dealing with short lasting bouts of severe pain. Some medications include muscle relaxers and narcotics but they are not recommended for long term use because they cause side effects and can be addictive. 
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• Injections - your doctor may offer to use a sacroiliac joint injection to reduce pain. These injections use both an anti-inflammatory and anesthetic in order to reduce pain. 

Physical Therapy

Before performing a SI Joint fusion, Dr. Siegal will want to test your SI Joint to make sure that it is what is causing the pain, and to also find out if a treatment plan other than surgery may be right for you. He will do this by recommending six months of medication, physical therapy, and possibly injections. During physical therapy, you will do things like:

• ‍Stretches - stretches of the painful region may allow the muscle tensions to loosen. This may help reduce pain.
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• Strengthen the Abdomen - during physical therapy you may be given exercises that will strengthen your core and lower back muscles. This will give your lower back more support and may reduce pain. 
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• Aerobic Exercises - your therapist may have you do some light aerobic exercises. This is to promote blood flow to the damaged areas.

Minimally invasive long term relief with Key Clinics and SI-Bone

If you have tried the six months of medications, physical therapy, and injections without experiencing any sacroiliac joint pain relief, then Dr. Siegal may recommend getting an SI Joint fusion. At Key Clinics, Dr. Siegal uses the iFuse implant system from SI-Bone. It is a minimally invasive procedure that has a high success rate when it comes to reducing SI Joint pain. 

I want to learn more about the SI-Bone, iFuse implant system.

If you are struggling with any back pain contact Key Clinics to schedule an appointment to see Dr. Joel D. Siegal.

I am tired of my chronic back pain.
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