Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Sacroiliitisis simply inflammation of the sacroiliac (SI) joint, found in your hip bone. This can lead to symptoms of pain in the lower back and buttocks.
The sacroiliac joint.
Sacroiliitis is often felt asdeep pain in the low back or buttocksthat gets better with activity.It might also affect the entire expanse of your lower extremity, from the groin area all the way down to your feet.
Pain from sacroiliitistends to be worse at nightor in the early morning.It is often exacerbated with standing as well. Climbing stairs, walking with large strides, and running are other weight-bearing activities that make the pain worse.
Depending on the underlying cause of your sacroiliitis, you may experience other symptoms in addition to those resulting directly from the inflammation of the SI joint.
What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis?
There are a number of different causes of sacroiliitis. These include:
Pregnancy may also temporarily cause inflammation of the joint, because of the added weight on your back.
Sometimes sacroiliitis results from inflammatory back pain from a group of related disorders known as spondyloarthritis (also known asspondyloarthropathy). These related conditions appear to result from a combination of genetic-environmental causes. Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of spondyloarthropathy.
For example, people with variations of certain genes are more likely to get a form of spondyloarthropathy which causes sacroiliitis.
A combination of imaging and lab tests can help with diagnosis.
Imaging Tools
A physical exam and medical exam are important diagnostic tools and can provide many clues about the underlying issue.
To definitively assess the presence of sacroiliitis, your healthcare provider will need imaging tests such as an X-ray,MRI, or CT scan.
Those can help address the presence of sacroiliitis itself, but healthcare providers also need to diagnose the underlying cause of the sacroiliitis.
An X-ray shows what’s going on in your bones, making it a good tool for following the changes in your pelvic and spinal bones as the disease progresses. For decades, the X-ray was the only imaging test used to diagnose sacroiliitis (and spondylitis). The problem with using X-rays, though, is that it can take years for evidence of the condition to become apparent.
Laboratory Tests
Other laboratory tests are also sometimes helpful in assessing the underlying causes of sacroiliitis. These might include:
Treatment of sacroiliitis will vary based on the underlying cause. For example, depending on the severity of your symptoms and the underlying cause, your healthcare provider may recommend:
If you have sacroiliitis from a spondyloarthritis such as ankylosing spondylitis, medications known as TNF-alpha blocker drugs may be of benefit.Some potential options are:
Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have been proven effective in the treatment of multiple forms of arthritis, including ankylosing spondylitis. Two are FDA-approved for this condition:
Physical therapy and regular exercise can also often be very helpful. In physical therapy, you’ll get a tailored exercise program that includes stretching, strengthening and posture exercises.
Surgery is rarely needed for the treatment of sacroiliitis, but a joint fusion procedure can sometimes be helpful if other methods are ineffective.
Relief for Mild to Severe SI Joint Dysfunction
A Word From Verywell
It can be frustrating to feel like pain is keeping you from the activities that you enjoy the most. Know that there are resources available to help you with your pain and keep it from getting worse over time. Don’t give up! By working closely with your medical team, you will empower yourself to manage your condition in the best way possible.
9 Best Exercises for Ankylosing Spondylitis
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Slobodin G, Hussein H, Rosner I, Eshed I.Sacroiliitis - early diagnosis is key. JInflamm Res. 2018;11:339-344. doi:10.2147/JIR.S149494.Buchanan BK, Varacallo M.Sacroiliitis.Mistry RR, Patro P, Agarwal V, Misra DP.Enthesitis-related arthritis: current perspectives.Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:19-31. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S163677.Vitulano C, Tedeschi V, Paladini F, Sorrentino R, Fiorillo MT.The interplay between HLA-B27 and ERAP1/ERAP2 aminopeptidases: from anti-viral protection to spondyloarthritis.Clin Exp Immunol.2017;190(3):281-290. doi:10.1111/cei.13020.Ho KY, Hadi MA, Pasutharnchat K, Tan KH.Cooled radiofrequency denervation for treatment of sacroiliac joint pain: two-year results from 20 cases.J Pain Res. 2013;6:505-11. doi:10.2147/JPR.S46827.Ghasemi-rad M, Attaya H, Lesha E, et al.Ankylosing spondylitis: A state of the art factual backbone.World J Radiol. 2015;7(9):236-52. doi:10.4329/wjr.v7.i9.236.Spondylitis Association of America.Medications used to treat ankylosing spondylitis and related diseases - JAK inhibitors.Additional ReadingBollow M, Braun J, Hamm B.Sacroiliitis: the key symptom of spondyloarthropathies. 1. The clinical aspects.Rofo.Elyan M, Khan MA.Spondyloarthropathies: update on diagnosis and therapy. Rheumatology Network.Taurog JD, Chhabra A, Colbert RA.Ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis.N Engl J Med. 2016;374(26):2563-74. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1406182.van der Heijde, D, Ramiro S, Landewé R, et a.2016 update of the ASAS-EULAR management recommendations for axial spondyloarthritis.Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76(6):978-991. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210770.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Slobodin G, Hussein H, Rosner I, Eshed I.Sacroiliitis - early diagnosis is key. JInflamm Res. 2018;11:339-344. doi:10.2147/JIR.S149494.Buchanan BK, Varacallo M.Sacroiliitis.Mistry RR, Patro P, Agarwal V, Misra DP.Enthesitis-related arthritis: current perspectives.Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:19-31. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S163677.Vitulano C, Tedeschi V, Paladini F, Sorrentino R, Fiorillo MT.The interplay between HLA-B27 and ERAP1/ERAP2 aminopeptidases: from anti-viral protection to spondyloarthritis.Clin Exp Immunol.2017;190(3):281-290. doi:10.1111/cei.13020.Ho KY, Hadi MA, Pasutharnchat K, Tan KH.Cooled radiofrequency denervation for treatment of sacroiliac joint pain: two-year results from 20 cases.J Pain Res. 2013;6:505-11. doi:10.2147/JPR.S46827.Ghasemi-rad M, Attaya H, Lesha E, et al.Ankylosing spondylitis: A state of the art factual backbone.World J Radiol. 2015;7(9):236-52. doi:10.4329/wjr.v7.i9.236.Spondylitis Association of America.Medications used to treat ankylosing spondylitis and related diseases - JAK inhibitors.Additional ReadingBollow M, Braun J, Hamm B.Sacroiliitis: the key symptom of spondyloarthropathies. 1. The clinical aspects.Rofo.Elyan M, Khan MA.Spondyloarthropathies: update on diagnosis and therapy. Rheumatology Network.Taurog JD, Chhabra A, Colbert RA.Ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis.N Engl J Med. 2016;374(26):2563-74. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1406182.van der Heijde, D, Ramiro S, Landewé R, et a.2016 update of the ASAS-EULAR management recommendations for axial spondyloarthritis.Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76(6):978-991. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210770.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Slobodin G, Hussein H, Rosner I, Eshed I.Sacroiliitis - early diagnosis is key. JInflamm Res. 2018;11:339-344. doi:10.2147/JIR.S149494.Buchanan BK, Varacallo M.Sacroiliitis.Mistry RR, Patro P, Agarwal V, Misra DP.Enthesitis-related arthritis: current perspectives.Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:19-31. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S163677.Vitulano C, Tedeschi V, Paladini F, Sorrentino R, Fiorillo MT.The interplay between HLA-B27 and ERAP1/ERAP2 aminopeptidases: from anti-viral protection to spondyloarthritis.Clin Exp Immunol.2017;190(3):281-290. doi:10.1111/cei.13020.Ho KY, Hadi MA, Pasutharnchat K, Tan KH.Cooled radiofrequency denervation for treatment of sacroiliac joint pain: two-year results from 20 cases.J Pain Res. 2013;6:505-11. doi:10.2147/JPR.S46827.Ghasemi-rad M, Attaya H, Lesha E, et al.Ankylosing spondylitis: A state of the art factual backbone.World J Radiol. 2015;7(9):236-52. doi:10.4329/wjr.v7.i9.236.Spondylitis Association of America.Medications used to treat ankylosing spondylitis and related diseases - JAK inhibitors.
Slobodin G, Hussein H, Rosner I, Eshed I.Sacroiliitis - early diagnosis is key. JInflamm Res. 2018;11:339-344. doi:10.2147/JIR.S149494.
Buchanan BK, Varacallo M.Sacroiliitis.
Mistry RR, Patro P, Agarwal V, Misra DP.Enthesitis-related arthritis: current perspectives.Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:19-31. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S163677.
Vitulano C, Tedeschi V, Paladini F, Sorrentino R, Fiorillo MT.The interplay between HLA-B27 and ERAP1/ERAP2 aminopeptidases: from anti-viral protection to spondyloarthritis.Clin Exp Immunol.2017;190(3):281-290. doi:10.1111/cei.13020.
Ho KY, Hadi MA, Pasutharnchat K, Tan KH.Cooled radiofrequency denervation for treatment of sacroiliac joint pain: two-year results from 20 cases.J Pain Res. 2013;6:505-11. doi:10.2147/JPR.S46827.
Ghasemi-rad M, Attaya H, Lesha E, et al.Ankylosing spondylitis: A state of the art factual backbone.World J Radiol. 2015;7(9):236-52. doi:10.4329/wjr.v7.i9.236.
Spondylitis Association of America.Medications used to treat ankylosing spondylitis and related diseases - JAK inhibitors.
Bollow M, Braun J, Hamm B.Sacroiliitis: the key symptom of spondyloarthropathies. 1. The clinical aspects.Rofo.Elyan M, Khan MA.Spondyloarthropathies: update on diagnosis and therapy. Rheumatology Network.Taurog JD, Chhabra A, Colbert RA.Ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis.N Engl J Med. 2016;374(26):2563-74. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1406182.van der Heijde, D, Ramiro S, Landewé R, et a.2016 update of the ASAS-EULAR management recommendations for axial spondyloarthritis.Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76(6):978-991. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210770.
Bollow M, Braun J, Hamm B.Sacroiliitis: the key symptom of spondyloarthropathies. 1. The clinical aspects.Rofo.
Elyan M, Khan MA.Spondyloarthropathies: update on diagnosis and therapy. Rheumatology Network.
Taurog JD, Chhabra A, Colbert RA.Ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis.N Engl J Med. 2016;374(26):2563-74. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1406182.
van der Heijde, D, Ramiro S, Landewé R, et a.2016 update of the ASAS-EULAR management recommendations for axial spondyloarthritis.Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76(6):978-991. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210770.
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