Has anyone had SI joint pain following a lumbar fusion?

Yes, I feel your pain! I had L5/S1 fusion in May, 2025 and developed excruciating SI joint pain, both left and right. I had left SI joint fusion in November, 2025. I am now waiting for spinal cord stimulator trial for continued nerve pain down mostly in my left leg from failed back surgery syndrome. If the trial is successful, I will have SCS implant. Once this is healed. I will undergo a right SI joint fusion. This is not common according to my neurosurgeon. He thinks it’s because I have rheumatoid arthritis.

Best of luck to you!

My fusions were 10 to 15 years ago, but I am now fused from L2-L5. I have pain that keeps me from walking, even within the house, and from standing more than 3 or so minutes. I am getting an appointment to determine if a SCS is the route of choise; it is almost the only route left.

Yes! My lumbar fusion was in 2011 and I suffer now from terrible SI joint pain. I also have been diagnosed with autoimmune disorders over the past year. Nobody effectively treats this pain. My mobility is increasingly limited, among other things. I appreciate your question, as I find this pain is readily dismissed by drs who are eager to offer injections. With autoimmune, injections and related healing can be complicated. Of course, "we don't treat that," is the common refrain. And my response is, "yes, but it's the same body. What you may do may affect other aspects of the system." I'm just apoplectic.

@debec
We need specialists who are rheumatologists and neurosurgeons or at least cross train neurosurgeons on how autoimmune impacts surgery and healing, etc! My experience is we tend to take longer to heal and suffer terribly!

I can’t say my SI pain was a result of lumbar fusion, as before I was fused I got SI injections etc. ultimately I had a SI fusion. Problem solved!

@bilt4pain
How is your walking following the SI fusion? Was it bilateral or one side only? Thanks for the info. I'm fused L2-L5, not fused L5-S1. Following fusions I have developed lower back pain which may be from L5-S1 or from R SI. Please let me know your experiences.

Joan- my walking after the SI fusion was pretty fast and not too painful compared to other surgeries Ive had. There was a long time surgery standard for SI fusion but now there’s many alternatives that are less invasive. Mine was the left SI only. They drilled two holes on both sides of nerve and inserted cadaver bone plugs that eventually made it fuse. I have FBSS of my lumbar and thoracic spine, and live in chronic pain that requires a SCS and a morphine pump to manage my pain.

I had occasional SI joint pain on my right side due to arthritis. (It helped to wear a sacroilliac belt. I tried 2 SI belts--preferred Serola over Bauerfeind.)

At the time of my T10 to pelvis spinal fusion in May 2025, it was decided for me to have bilateral SI Joint Fusions due to the high occurrence of patients having SI joint pain after extensive spinal fusions.
(Much pressure is placed on the SI joints when the vertebrae in the lower back are fused.)
Mayo Clinic Rochester is currently doing a study to compare patient outcomes between patients that have extensive spinal fusions along with Bilateral SI fusions, and those that just have the spinal fusions.
My Bilateral SI surgery was very simple and I didn't pay any attention to my SI joints while I recovered from my spinal fusion.

My neurosurgeon, Jeremy Fogelson, at Mayo Rochester performed my spinal fusion. The Bilateral SI Joint Fusions were performed the day before my spinal fusion by orthopedic surgeon, William Cross III, also at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Cross has perfected the surgery and, on the web, you can find a video of him lecturing at other teaching institutions.

L4&5 fusion in 2015 and did fairly well overall.Was able to walk,ski and pretty much do everything until fall of 2025.Vacation in late September I walked 6mi a couple of times.Suddenly I was experiencing stability problems and mobility loss. Although I was still able to walk it was only a couple of miles.Neurosurgeon wanted to fuse s1&l5 and l4.At 86 yrs old didn’t want to do that.Was supposed to get joint injections to see if it was sacroilitis but developed bronchitis and had to delay the procedure.Can appreciate what everyone is experiencing.

Yes but it hasn't been too bad. I need to start an exercise program to stabilize my sacrum