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The 3 Main Benefits of a Sacroiliac Joint Fusion
Low back pain is a major cause of life disruption. It’s one of the leading causes of missed work days and disability. Finding the right solution for low back pain requires time, patience, and the assistance of a skilled spine physician.
Sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion surgery is a cutting-edge technique that is not yet widely available. At aCELLerated Interventional Orthopedics, Dr. Brian K. Rich specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery and has specialized training in this approach. Dr. Rich uses this technique to help selected patients gain lasting relief from SI joint-related low back pain.
Let’s go into more detail about the sacroiliac joint, when sacroiliac joint fusion is recommended, and how it can help ease your low back pain so that you can lead a more pain-free life.
What is the sacroiliac joint?
The average person is unfamiliar with the sacroiliac joint – until problems arise. The SI joint connects your pelvis to the base of your spine. There are two SI joints, one on each side of the pelvis. When it’s damaged, it can cause sharp pain that radiates down one leg. Depending on the severity, SI joint pain can make it difficult to walk.
What causes sacroiliac joint pain?
SI joint problems most commonly cause pain in the low back and buttocks. Pain related to the SI joint is often challenging to diagnose. Dr. Rich performs a comprehensive evaluation to reach an accurate diagnosis.
Causes of SI joint pain include damage from a traumatic injury, conditions that cause chronic inflammation, and damage from conditions like arthritis. In some cases, no clear cause is found. Regardless of the cause, treatment can reduce pain and improve quality of life.
Major advantages of sacroiliac joint fusion
SI joint surgery offers several benefits to patients with low back pain:
#1 – Lasting pain relief
Lasting relief from low back pain is the primary benefit. SI joint surgery also relieves other related symptoms such as leg numbness and tingling and muscle spasms.
#2 – Improved activity level
SI fusion surgery can restore a patient’s ability to walk and perform everyday physical activities. This is invaluable because low back pain can make even the most simple task of reaching into a cupboard to get your favorite coffee mug painful and challenging. A restored ability to walk, bend, and move without pain can restore your independence.
#3 – Better quality of life
When you’re struggling with low back pain, it can impact nearly every aspect of your life. From interfering with getting a good night’s to negatively affecting your family and relationships, low back pain can prevent you from living your life to the fullest.
After fusion surgery, the ability to walk and move without searing back pain has the potential to significantly improve the lives of patients with SI joint pain.
What is sacroiliac joint fusion surgery?
Sacroiliac joint fusion is one of the newest and best procedures for relieving SI joint pain. It’s a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to control the movement of the SI joints. This fusion restricts movement in the sacroiliac joints and reduces pain by relieving stress on the joints while walking, running, lifting heavy objects, and going about your day.
Dr. Rich uses titanium screws and plates, as well as bone grafts, to fuse two pelvic bones together using cutting-edge imaging software and minimally invasive incisions. This fusion relieves stress on the SI joints and stabilizes them so that you can move with less pain.
When is sacroiliac joint fusion recommended?
Dr. Rich may recommend SI joint fusion surgery as the most appropriate treatment when other approaches, such as physical therapy and corticosteroid injections, have failed. If you’ve tried nonsurgical approaches to ease your SI joint-related low back pain without success, consider discussing SI joint fusion with Dr. Rich.
Our team urges anyone struggling with persistent back pain to come in to see Dr. Rich to see how we can help you get relief and restore your quality of life. Call or request an appointment online with Dr. Rich today.
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