Has your doctor diagnosed you with SI Joint pain? We have a solution.
Eight-five percent of American adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives. In about 25 percent of these cases, the sacroiliac (SI) joint is the source of that pain. And yet, many sufferers do not realize that the SI joint is the cause, and even more do not get the treatment they need.
At the Chicago Back Institute at Swedish Covenant Hospital, we are committed to reversing this trend and providing the best treatment options available for SI joints. The Chicago Back Institute is one of the few spine care centers in the nation offering SI Joint Stabilization, a minimally invasive surgical approach to treating pain in the lower back, pelvis and/or hips caused by SI joint dysfunction or injury.
Dr. Fred Geisler, a neurological surgeon at the Chicago Back Institute, is one of the only surgeons in Chicago offering this procedure and was one of the first surgeons in the nation trained in the technique. He has performed more minimally invasive SI Joint stabilizations than any surgeon in the Midwest. This minimally invasive surgery alleviates pain in the lower back, hips and pelvis caused by instability in the sacroiliac (SI) joint. This approach is designed to reduce motion in the SI joint to provide stability for the lower back, while minimizing the size of the surgical incision, reducing risk of infection and shortening hospital stays.
To learn more or make an appointment at the Chicago Back Institute, please call (773) 271-2225 or submit an appointment request form >
How the SI joint works
The SI Joint is the point at which the sacrum (the bone surface between your spine and your tailbone) meets the Ilium (the upper hip bone). This is the largest axial joint in the body, which bears the bulk of your weight, absorbs shock and naturally moves very little to provide stability for your frame.
Lower back pain and the SI joint
Complications can arise when the SI joint and surrounding ligaments loosen and move to a greater degree than normal. This motion can lead to:
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, the SI joint may be the source of your discomfort.
Although the cause of the SI joint injury is not always clear, it could result from:
- Trauma (e.g. from a fall)
- Stress (e.g. from pregnancy)
- Prior lower back surgical fusions
- Degeneration over time
Treating SI joint instability
The SI joint is often overlooked in diagnoses of lower back pain because pain is not always easy for patients or physicians to pinpoint. Additionally, in the past, therapists, doctors and surgeons who identified the SI joint as a pain generator did not feel there was an effective treatment for the pain. This trend is steadily changing in the spine care industry as research and education about the SI joint and its relationship to the lower back expand, and minimally invasive surgical technology advances.
Once the SI joint has been identified as a source of pain, stabilizing the joint is the primary treatment option. There are many methods for addressing SI Joint pain including physical therapy, chiropractic services, pelvic support belts, medications and injections. If these treatments do not fully address the pain and it continues for 3 months or more, a minimally invasive stabilization surgical procedure may be an option.
Traditional SI stabilization procedures involve a large incision, a long recovery period and high risk. Fortunately, recent advances in spine care technology have lead to an innovative minimally invasive SI joint stabilization procedure which effectively stabilizes the joint, reduces pain and speeds recoveries.
The procedure
The SI Joint Stabilization procedure is performed with either general or spinal anesthesia. During the procedure, a specially trained surgeon guides endoscope instruments into your back through a small incision (about the size of a pencil eraser) in the side of your buttock. These instruments allow the surgeon to insert stabilizing devices which will permanently stay in place after the surgery.
Many patients experience immediate pain relief following the surgery. For others the pain gradually subsides over several days or weeks. Most patients go home the day after surgery.
