Free Pain Screening Quiz
Pain presents itself in many different ways, at different times and in many cases is triggered by specific activities.
Arizona Pain Treatment Centers will be happy to answer your questions in conjunction with a personal phone call follow up with one of our doctors.
Please answer the questions as accurately as possible.
Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain can manifest as pain in low back, buttocks, or the groin area but may also radiate down legs and into feet. Located between the pelvis and base of the spine, the sacroiliac joints, or SI joints, are strong, stable joints that allow for little movement. While SI joints do not bend like a knuckle or knee, they are susceptible to degenerative arthritis.
SI joints act as shock absorbers, transmitting and absorbing the forces of the upper body to the pelvis and legs. A dense network of muscles and ligaments support these joints and allow very little movement. These SI joint ligaments are the strongest in the body.
Injury to these ligaments can cause SI joint pain. For example, small tears through years of overuse or strain can eventually allow for too much movement in the joint, resulting in pain. The primary function of the SI joints are to transfer weight from the upper body to the lower body.
Sacroiliac joint pain may be due to conditions within the joint. Some of the conditions that may cause SI joint pain include:
▪ Traumatic injury to the SI joint from a sudden impact, like a fall or an accident
▪ Arthritis of the SI joint
▪ Traumatic birth
▪ Pregnancy that results in an altered gait
▪ Previous lumbar spine surgery
▪ Infection of the SI joint (this is a rare condition)
It is important when diagnosing and treating the source of low back pain to accurately identify the pain generators as they may be due to multiple causes that can occur by themselves or concurrently. Also, low back pain symptoms can vary and can manifest in locations other than the lower back. Some of the conditions that can cause low back pain include:
▪ Bulging or herniated discs
▪ Sciatica
▪ Spinal degeneration
▪ Spinal stenosis
▪ Osteoporosis
▪ Skeletal irregularities
▪ Spondylitis
▪ Sacroiliac joint problems - sacroiliitis or inflammation
We have found that for many patients, there are multiple coexisting conditions that are the source of low back pain. Often, a single condition is not responsible for an individual’s low back pain and our experienced team of specialists look at all source of pain.
We understand that previously the sacroiliac joint was an area that was routinely ignored when diagnosing and treating low back pain and pay special attention to the Sacroiliac Joint area when examining each patient with low back and leg pain.
SI joint pain can be aggravated by:
▪ Prolonged standing or placing more weight on one leg
▪ Sitting
▪ Bending
▪ Climbing stairs
▪ Running or taking large strides while walking
To properly diagnose the SI joint as a source of pain, we may use imaging studies, like X-ray, MRI, or CT scans. If tests indicate that the SI joint may be the source of low back pain, then an injection of anesthesia should be done to confirm the diagnosis. We do this test injection safety in our out-patient surgery center under live x-ray guidance or ultrasound guidance.
Several options are available to treat SI joint pain, including rest and medications. Physical therapy or physical rehab may also be recommended. This will include stretches specifically for maintaining joint flexibility, and exercises to strengthen the muscles that stabilize the SI joint.
Other treatment options may include injections, such as a local anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory agent are injected directly into the SI joint. Pain relief, generally, is temporary but may last several months. More chronic pain may be treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a procedure that uses radio waves to put the sensory nerves cause the pain to “sleep”.
If the condition is especially severe, a minimally invasive surgery may be necessary. This out-patient surgery is called IFuse Implant Systmen by SI-Bone. The purpose of the surgery is to stabilize the joint by fusing the two bones of the SI joint together. You can read more about the procedure directly on the website www.si-bone.com
Our surgeon specializes in this procedure and has had a large amount of success when selected for the appropriate patient.
As a multi-disciplinary team, we understand that pain can change and destroy a person’s life. It is discouraging to watch our patients, friends and family suffer in pain. We know we can make a difference and help provide the best education and options available. We offer Endoscopic Microdiscectomy and Endoscopic Rhizotomy procedures. Our non-surgical treatments offered are therapeutic and diagnostic injection medicine therapy. These include epidural steroid injections, non-steroidal injections, nerve blocks and ablations, joint injections, and trigger point injections. We also offer many other procedures for pain relief.
We are passionate about giving life back to our community every day. We specialize in most types of pain, including neck and back pain, arm and shoulder pain, leg, hip and knee pain, as well as headaches and migraines. We treat pain from Car Accident or Wreck Injuries, Sport Injuries, Workman’s Comp and daily wear and tear.
We are excited to be known by our patients and referring Primary Care Physicians as Top Doctors and Top Pain Specialists in Phoenix. We are also proud to have great relationships with other pain centers like Arizona Pain Specialists, The Pain Centers of Arizona, Arizona Pain Centers, Advanced Pain Management, Sonoran Spine and Barrow Neurosurgical Institute.
Arizona Pain Treatment Centers has been serving the greater Phoenix area since 1997. We have patients under our care that live in Phoenix, North Phoenix, Scottsdale, Peoria, Glendale, Maryvale, Tolleson, South Phoenix, Mesa, East Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Apache Junction, Tuscon, and even Globe.
We are commitment to making a difference and being the difference in all of our patient’s lives and their family and friends lives. Thank you!