SI Joint Pain

What are the Sacroiliac (SI) Joints?

The sacroiliac joints are those firm small joints connecting the sacrum, the triangular shaped bone is located near the bottom of human spine, with the pelvis or lower iliac bone on both side within lower spine.  Most often, these joints are particularly characterized by the big and shaped in auricular way, diarthrodial synovial joint; although the real synovial joint is composed only of third of the anterior interface located between sacrum and ilium. The remaining of the junction basically is made up of a complex set of ligament connections, which primary function is to put limit to the movements in the planes.

Sacroiliac joints are held in place by muscles of network that facilitates delivery of muscular forces regionally to pelvic bones. They are quite different from the other joints of the body in the sense that its motions are limited only to about two to four millimeters during weight bearing and forward arching. But minimal though their movements are, the sacroiliac joints are responsible for the transmission of the forces from upper body part right down to the pelvis and also the legs. If without it, the pelvis is at very high risk of being fractured.  The small gliding motion it creates is called “gliding” type of motion, which, along with its complexity are the very features that give doctors a hard time to locate the exact SI joint problems during normal or physical examination.

Besides, the sacroiliac joints are known as viscoelastc joints because of its distinctive movements that come from the giving and stretching. This type of motion is different as compared to hinge movement of the knee, or from the ball and socket motion of the hip.  In addition, the sacroiliac joints have self-locking mechanism that promotes walking.  The joints lock on one side as weight is changed from one leg to the other, even as they absorb the impact within the spine by stretching in different directions.

SI joint pain


Pain in Sacroiliac Joint

Pain in the sacroiliac joints is called by different names, like: SI joint dysfunction, SI joint syndrome, or SI joint strain.  But studies are still ongoing to determine where exactly the pain is coming from, whether it generates from the joint’s surface, or from the ligaments that hold the joints in place.

Possible Causes of SI Joint Pain

SI joints pains can also be due to other conditions, such as:

  • osteoarthritis, which affects the joints of the hands, feet, spine, hips, and knees and characterized by the tearing apart of the cartilage of one or more joints.
  • psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory condition that leads to stiff, tender, and irritated joints.
  • Ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic, degenerative arthritis affecting the spine and sacroiliac joints in the pelvis resulting in the stiffness and pain in and around the spine
  • Reiter’s syndrome, an autoimmune ailment particularly characterized by inflamed joints, conjunctivitis or inflammation of the eyes, and inflammation of the genitals, urinary and gastrointestinal systems.
  • enteropathic arthritis, which affects the peripheral joints, and at times, the entire spine.


The pain within SI joint is normally because of excessive motion or also insufficient motion within the joint. If you happen to visit a therapist, he or she may recommend some stretching exercises. Stretching exercises will allow the muscles to stretch and thereby will decreases the pain. Also SI belts or sacroiliac belts are available in the markets, which when tied around the hip, it stabilizes the sacroiliac joint. Another option for getting out of this sacroiliac joint is undergoing some yoga practices.

Considering that there are many factors causing sacroiliac joint pain, it is best to consult with the doctor to correctly diagnose its source so that appropriate treatment can be applied.  Usually, during consultation, a chiropractor will conduct a physical examination and check for areas of tenderness on the lower back and lower abdomen to determine the source of pain. You may want to try visiting and try to locate some medical institution which specialized in chiropractor.