SI Joint problem

@detc1 I had this issue for many years. The only thing that keeps it from flaring is consistent (every day!) stretching of all the muscles and ligaments in the area and exercising to keep them strong.
This is not a once-and-done situation, it will need to be managed for life. My stretches are incorporated in a daily routine I do first thing in the morning - some while still in bed, some right after I rise. It only takes less than ten minutes, and after a few months it is as natural a part of the routine as showering and getting dressed.

Also, ice at the first hint of a flare.

Has he continues to stretch every day?
Sue

Thank you for your input. We appreciate it. Yes, he’s doing physical therapy exercises twice a day. We also try to walk three miles a day. He ices when it’s really flaring. Best to you.

Hi @detc, I'd like to invite @scruffy1, @cookierockwell, @sandyincharlotte, @sameerak, and @rjmtwit to this discussion as they have all discussed varying issues with their SI joints as well and have undergone different treatments as well.

@detc, if you are comfortable sharing, could you tell us a bit more about your husband's SI issue itself? Some members' issues came from arthritis, surgery, etc. If you are comfortable sharing a bit more, it may help members share their relatable experiences.

Thank you. My husband is 83 years old. He had no prior hip issues. We were walking on the beach in May. The sand was hard, but slanted. After walking about a mile, his hip area became very painful. He could hardly walk back to the parking area, and had difficulty getting up the steps in our condo. The hip area was the only location of pain for about a month before he also had pain in his knee and down his shin. As I said, we walk about three miles a day. Sometimes he’s comfortable and sometimes he needs to cut the walk short due to discomfort that radiates to his knee and lower leg. There’s no pattern to good days vs bad days. The hip is painful whenever all of his weight is put on the affected leg, like when he’s putting his pants on or going up a step, leading with his right leg.

@detc In 1990 I sprained the ligaments in my right SI joint but it was never diagnosed as such. I had pain on & off for the next 25 years and no one, not a handful of ortho doctors nor a neurosurgeon came up with a diagnosis despite x-rays and MRIs. I had numerous steroid injections but they did nothing for my pain. The only thing that worked was traditional and computerized traction, but that often didn't work for long periods of time. My orthopedic surgeon had no answers but suggested I see a chiropractor he had a lot of faith in, but he warned me not to go for adjustments unless I was in pain because of stretching and micro tears in the ligaments. The 1st visit with that chiropractor was promising. She reduced my pain by 50%. The next adjustment totally relieved my pain. The 3rd visit she hurt me a bit but then she knew exactly my limits. I was pain free for 4+ months! Then it came back and she would adjust me and it lasted months. Slowly over the next 7 years the time between visits kept shrinking until an adjustment lasted only a few hours. The ligaments would no longer hold open/apart my SI joint. I started seeing a physiatrist (a type of orthopedic doctor) for other back problems including degenerative disc disease and a herniated disc. The physiatrist recommended an SI joint fusion. I put off that procedure for more than a year until I could no longer tolerate the pain without opioids. In August of 2022 I had that procedure done by the physiatrist. 100% relief!!! I would have gotten both sides fused but Medicare only allows one at a time. I planned to do the left side this past summer but the pain from the that side is still tolerable. My chiropractor adjusts that left side when it gets out of alignment. I play golf 2-3 times a week and sometimes practice in-between. I ALWAYS wear an SI belt when I play. I learned about the belts from a YouTube video done by a chiropractor. It helps to keep my left side stable despite my bad golf swing. I hope this information is helpful.

SI belt, taping and PT may help.

My daughter had SI joint issues for years, and finally had PRP (platelet rich plasma), which involves drawing blood, spinning it and injecting the concentrated plasma into the joint. After 10 years of pain, PRP helped her in 24 hours. It doesn't work for everyone though. A physiatrist would evaluate you for PRP. Ours was in a mainstream top hospital rehab facility. But we paid $1k for it out of pocket.

It is helpful to hear about your experience. Thank you for taking time to provide your input. Happy to hear that you have found relief. We wish you the best.

Thank you for your suggestions. We appreciate your reply. So glad that your daughter found resolution for her pain. Best to her.

I just joined but wanted to share. I have severe hEDS and have blown so many joints and discs up and down my spine all my life. The SI joint got so painful from repeated blowouts of the lower lumbar and upper sacrum joints that by 2 years ago nothing worked anymore (also age 65) by then including exercising and PT was more pain than help. I finally conceded to steroidal injection into the left SI joint. It was quite a painful procedure, I won’t sugarcoat it, other than a very mild sedative injection (that didn’t really work) I was wide awake and experienced every painful second of it. It took the better part of about 2 weeks before I felt relief, but finally it was as if about the last 10 years of pain was greatly reduced so much that I was able to do more in the roughly 4 to 5 months again than I ever thought I would again. I knew it might be doing my other deteriorating joints (knees, ankles etc) more harm than good, but I strapped on my knee braces I needed daily and found myself able to do more around the house, outside etc than I thought I’d ever do again. Or have. I had injections into both knees before I decided to try it on my back. While my back was better during those months I tried having a second injection into my knees hoping to buy myself some more relief. Unfortunately, the second injections into each knee didn’t work the second time which was a year or a little longer from the first shot. So, knowing that I rejected another SI injection figuring it likely wouldn’t work again since it failed in my knees a second time. However, I want to say it wasn’t completely in vain. I got back about a Spring and most of Summer I haven’t had before or since and I can say it seemed to help shrink up some of the nerve areas so that my SI isn’t as painful as pre-injection now 2 years later. Best wishes! 🙏🏻

Thank you for sharing your experience with us and for your honesty about the pain of the SI injection. Glad that you gained some relief from your pain. It sounds like you’re dealing with a lot of issues, but still remain positive. Good luck.