Treatment Options for Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Dysfunction
Treatment Option for Sacroiliac (SI) Dysfunction
Treatments can vary depending on the severity of your symptoms and how
much they limit your everyday activities. Below are some of the treatment
options you may want to discuss with your doctor, depending on your symptoms.
Nonsurgical Treatment for SI Joint Dysfunction
As a first line of treatment, your doctor may prescribe any one or more
of the following:
- Medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, help relieve pain
and reduce inflammation.
- Physical therapy can help provide strengthening and pelvic stabilization
exercises to reduce the movement in the SI joint.
- SI Belt wraps around the hips to help squeeze the sacroiliac joints together.
This supports and stabilizes the pelvis and sacroiliac joints.
SI joint injections can reduce inflammation and relieve the pain. The steroid
medication is injected into the back.
Surgical Treatment of Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
If symptoms persist due to instability, your physician may recommend stabilizing
your joint with sacroiliac joint fixation.
Traditional Open Surgery
Traditional sacroiliac joint fixation involves open surgery that may take
several hours. Open surgery typically involves a large incision to access
the SI joint, bone removal, and adding bone graft to help the joint heal.
Open surgery usually translates into several days of hospitalization.
Minimally Invasive Procedure
The iFuse Implant System® is a minimally invasive option for patients
suffering from SI joint dysfunction.
The iFuse procedure takes about an hour and involves three small titanium
implants inserted surgically across the SI joint. The entire procedure
is done through a small incision, with no soft tissue stripping and minimal
tendon irritation. Patients may leave the hospital the next day after
surgery and can usually resume daily living activities within six weeks,
depending on how well they are healing and based on physician’s orders.
The iFuse procedure offers several benefits compared to traditional SI
joint surgery
- Minimal incision size
- Immediate post-operative stabilization
- Minimal soft tissue stripping
- Potential of a quicker recovery