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Benefits of SI Joint Fusion Surgery for Back Pain

Do you suffer from lower back pain, groin or buttocks? Have you found that traditional sciatica treatments don’t give you the relief you need? Joint Fusion Surgery may be an option for you.

It may be because your pain isn’t sciatica after all. Your symptoms may instead be attributed to the sacroiliac joint, or SI joint. The SI joint bears weight on both sides of the pelvis and has strong internal and external ligaments. Its function is to provide additional shock absorption for the spine. Joint Fusion is a minimally invasive procedure that repairs the SI joint.

With age, stability in the SI joint can decline and the joint can degenerate, resulting in pain and stiffness in the lower back and lower limbs.

Minimally invasive SI joint fusion is one surgical technique used to stabilize the joint, minimizing movement and providing significant pain relief, particularly in the lower back and/or leg.

Symptoms of SI joint pain may include

  • Pain located on one side of the lower back
  • Pain radiating into the buttocks, lower back and groin
  • Referred pain in the lower limbs (which can be mistaken for sciatica)
  • Difficulty turning over in bed, struggling to put on shoes and socks, leg pain while getting in and out of the car
  • Stiffness in the lower back when getting up after sitting for long periods and when getting up from bed
  • Aching on one side of lower back when driving long distances

As SI joint dysfunction treatment options have advanced in recent years, there has been a resurgence in the recognition of the SI joint as a source of low back pain. One study found that as many as 25 percent of patients receiving treatment in a spine clinic have pain caused by the hip or SI joint.

In most cases, patients can receive non-surgical treatment through physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications or SI joint injections. However, if these conservative therapies do not provide relief and improve symptoms, surgery may be necessary.

To learn more about SI joint fusion and find out if you’re a candidate for this minimally invasive treatment for low back pain, contact Dr. Kushwaha today.

 

About Vivek Kushwaha

Vivek P. Kushwaha attended the University of Texas at Austin where he earned his B.A. from the College of Natural Sciences. He then earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio, Texas.

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