r/sacroiliac_sijoint

I’m 27f, at least 15yrs of SI joint feeling out of place & needing to pop back in. Sciatica included. Mostly my left side, occasionally the right. I’ve been able to put up with the pain, just became normal aside from the bad flare ups. But tbh those are my norm too I guess.

But what’s really concerning lately is some different areas of pain that I think is associated with SI.. but can’t for the life of me wrap my head around all of the anatomical diagrams I come across, trying to see how it all connects.

Keep in mind, I can’t be certain about time frames since I’m in pain in one way or another every day & don’t really keep track.
Outer left hip pain: I think I’ve experienced this for years, but was only really apparent when I woke up..? It’s becoming more frequent now, but still only hurts when I walk. I can’t even properly describe where it is, but from looking up possible things, maybe trochanteric bursitis..?
Front top thigh pain, next to groin: I think I’ve only experienced this a handful of times, but today.. wow. Walking in & out of petco was a challenge. Again, only when I walk. Feels like it’s radiating across horizontally, but doesn’t feel like how sciatica pain feels.

Never been officially diagnosed with anything, most of what I know was found out from chiropractors mentioning things about my body all blasé blasé, like I already knew: sciatica, sacroiliitis, hypermobility, etc. I’ve always experienced joint & tendon pains in multiple areas & am just in chronic pain. I’ve tried to see an orthopedist years ago, but got discouraged when I called & still haven’t tried again lol.. I finally found the doc I wanted to see, called, & the receptionist asked what I’d be seeing him for. I listed: back, sacrum, hip, arm, wrist, foot, etc. she said, “were you in a car crash??” I was like uhhh no I’m just in pain. I didn’t know, & she explained, that I’d have to go get seen for each individual thing one at a time. I said ok thanks, hung up & cried lol..

Anyway, is anyone else experiencing those pains that feel like they’re shifting from si joint to other places? Is it bone? Muscles? Tendons? Also, is this genetic? I’m getting scared bc the past two years both my father & brother have gotten back/hip surgeries. Ain’t no way I’m doing that. Gonna get into strengthening soon, never worked out too much & scared I’ll overextend or hurt myself more if there’s arthritis or something.

TLDR: years of si pain, now outer & front hip.. you have too? Why? :(

For history: was super active w/ 2 jobs that require lifting and being on feet and weightlifting w/ guidance 4x a week. Now severely limited mobility. Was in PT for hip flexor & knee pain. Made it a month in but didn't show any sort of difference. Felt nothing.

The last session I went to, I knew in the middle of it that I was going to be very sore. Finished the session, iced at the end of it, and went on my merry way. Worked both jobs that day and the next. Noticed during both days that the pain was increasing. Unable to work at all that week. Tried all the typical OTC methods- ice, heat, rest, compression. Ended up in the er twice that week due to the pain. 3 times total now, two PCP visits, one Ortho, and awaiting spine. Nobody has done further tests beyond initial x-ray & bloodwork. I've tried oral & hip injection steroids, muscle relaxers, nerve pain meds, anti-inflammatory meds, and opioids. The last er visit, they were able to pinpoint the pain and tell me the SI joint was most likely inflamed. They did lidocaine injections- still the only thing that's helped this entire time. Nothing else even come close to hitting the pain. I have been completely unable to work or do any house chores. It has been over a month and I'm at my wits end.

Is there something I'm missing? Something that one of you sees that I can't? If it was just inflammation, it surely would've gone down by now with how much I've been resting it.

Apologies if this is not the right subreddit. I don't lurk or post much these days. Thanks for your time.

I really fucked myself up getting out of bed two days ago and went to a walk in clinic. They gave me some muscle relaxers and told me to down NSAIDs but that didn't help. I went to the hospital yesterday and got diagnosed with bilateral sacroiliitis. I need to follow up with my PCP to figure out what type of inflammatory disease I have. I also went to PT yesterday and will start going regularly.

Right now, I'm on prednisone and hydrocodone-acetaminophen. I'm still in pain. Standing hurts. Sitting down hurts. Laying down hurts less, but still hurts. I'm scared for my life. I'm scared that pain is going to be the only thing I'll know for the rest of my existence. I don't know what to do. A part of me is genuinely considering suicide. I've heard nothing but horror stories from people who've suffered this. Not even opioids are making me feel back to even 50%, which crushes me. I don't know what to do. I don't even know if I should try. I don't even know what I did wrong. Is there any hope of getting better? Should I just throw in the towel?

I started getting a lot worse July 5 after returning from a big trip and cleaning the house. My dr sent me for an MRI. It showed several things had gotten worse. Bulging disk, nerve compression, degenerative disk, arthritis, scoliosis, all the things. My dr decided to up my Butrans patch from 10 to 15 and gave me breakthrough Tramadol. Did a cortisone shot and a Toradol shot in office. Also scheduled 4 different procedures. I had the first procedure, an SI joint injection, a week ago. Day 1,2 were good with brief relief, just very sore. Day 3 was the worst pain ever that burned everywhere. Days 4, 5 stiff but better. Days 6-7 awful again but higher up, in my lower back. Nothing I’m doing is helping. I’ve been doing heat, ice, ibuprofen, Aleve, lidocaine patches, drinking lots of water, anything I can think of. I called my dr and they just suggested a heating pad and ibuprofen. Is there anything else I can try? I am supposed to have a follow up visit Sept 2 and am scheduled in Sept for a lumbar medial nerve branch Block,bursa injection, and facet injection. I’m not sure if this pain is from the injection or not at this point. But I’m still barely able to move around.

En resonancia han visto que tengo artrosis sacroiliaca creo que con bastante avance. Me gustaría saber si hay alguien por aquí que tenga mi misma dolencia y pueda compartir sus cuidados para que no siga avanzando la artrosis y paliar el dolor. Muchas gracias

I have FAI with a small labral tear and cartilage damage. My hip pain also radiates into my buttock, and I developed piriformis/sciatic-type symptoms.
**Why does hip pain sometimes trigger piriformis syndrome or irritate the sciatic nerve? No one can tell me that, does someone has an idea ?**

Aged 40

Ex-Marathoner

Weak core

Very tight back, lower back and upper back / low mobility struggle to put socks on

X-Ray done = hip impingement detected but not pf serious concern

SI Joint Pain / Gluteal Tendinopathy / GTPS / Hip Impingement / Lower Back Instability / Piriformis Syndrome...How to find my way out of this HELLISH maze (UK NHS)

Can anyone help advise me in the UK?

I will keep it short. For 5 years I've had lower back, hip, left glute issues.

Seen NHS physios 4 times and they rule out sciatica. One physio said it's a hip issue. One physio said it's nerve related and a back / lumbar spine issue / one said GTPS.

One said to do minimal exercises and gave me a list of 4 exercises. And another I sae today said to start running again (I can't walk that well) going to yoga (Yoga - downward dog cause me agony). He has said he will refer me to the spinal specialist team who will see me in 8-10 months approximately.

I've mentioned an MRI on multiple occasions and still not been an option. The physio today said the spinal specialist team might see me ask questions and give me exercises or discuss spinal surgery (I don't want this.)

I see on social media many 'specialists' in all the areas in my title, and a lot of the symptoms I have for many of the things.

Is there a way I can pay / go private to find someone who can diagnose what I have? Once I know I can them work on the right exercises.

My lower back or hip or muscle or tendon is not grinding and crunching and giving me pain like arthuritis maybe? Not sure.

Is there anyway I can just find someone to tell me what's going on?

I'm at a loss, in pain, and just want to be able to play football with my 4 year old toddler, pick him up out the bath or even sit and have dinner at the table without having to stand up and walk around every 2 minutes.

Please help if you have any suggestions to isolate what the issue even is?!

Hi all
I am curious if anyone gets leg symptoms like sciatica from SI

I am fused L4-S1 with laminectomy so have no discs there but still get leg cramps and some symptoms like sciatica in lower legs below knee. Could be scar tissue they said but then the emg didn’t show major issues coming from back so they don’t know.

My SI joints have been bad and leg pain heightened. Most people have multi factor issues but anyone with a healthy back and SI issues experience leg symptoms? Thank u

Hi all
Background is I had an L4-S1 fusion Feb 2024

Been building back strength , started thinking I need to build back some strength in low back for core ( not just front abs via exercise but the whole core canister including multifidus)
I had attempted a seated iso hold and nothing too crazy but did it for several days 30 sec and decided to try on a Roman chair. 45 degree no real bending just hold. Ok during it.
That was 2 wk ago and my low back ( what seems my si joints ) have been in a lot of pain since. Not standing or walking but sitting long or getting up. I’ll have one or 2 days it seems to be easing up and then bam - back to significant ache and pain.
Of course if feels like it’s also in my tailbone and I’m a bit freaked out the hardware is moved ( even tho they said I fused and I didn’t feel any pop or sharp pain) cuz the pain is across the si region.

Anyone get SI issues that are fused and how you remedy this? Of course no Roman chair holds I know.
Any advice , right now I’m resting doing some gentle glute bridge only and ab holds laying down to get some movement without strain.

Could it be something other than the si irritated ? That’s my guess but I could be wrong. Thank you

I just completed 8 weeks in PT. I did feel better, however, not 100%. PT discharged me and sent me on my way with home excersises. I've been doing that, practicing Yoga, walk/running and getting monthly massages.

Since discharge, and slowly increasing activity, I'm now in so much pain. Pain (unilateral on right side) is now referring down hamstring, inner knee and down to my achilles, as well in to my belly near my ovary. I also can hear my knee (right) "crunch' going up and down stairs. Ibuprofen, motrin and ice don't help. Rest doesn't help. Sitting makes it worse.

At a loss as what to do other than go back to to the doctor and be referred back to ortho.

Curious if anyone has been in this situation and what has helped them. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

Hi friends. I have been dealing with some moderate SI joint pain after recovering from a nasty 4-month battle with sciatica. I do pretty well day to day and manage the pain with my PT exercises, walking, and some anti-inflammatories. But does anyone have advice for what to do about standing for long periods? I give presentations as part of my job, so when I finish and I’m trying to bend over to get my stuff, or get in my car after standing at a concert for a few hours, my back / SI area feels SO incredibly stiff/stuck and painful even when bending over an inch, to where I kind of have to squat instead and brace myself. Any suggestions or ideas that have worked for people?

I am almost 3 weeks post bilateral SI joint fusion with one level of Laminectomy. How much should I be walking and doing at this point and should I still need pain medication at this point? Thanks

Hello - I’m looking for some further advice if possible.

For the past year and a half since a car accident I’ve had lower back pain which has snowballed into many further issues.

I’m currently struggling in many areas and have bilateral si joint pain, bilateral hip pain, my sitting bones are incredibly painful when sitting even on sofas or beds and now developed bilateral stabbing pain in my knees. The pain radiates up both sides of my back when I’m sat for any length of time over 20/30 mins if I have to due to work. When I lean back even slightly I can feel discomfort on the boney parts at the bottom of my back. When I sit I feel like my legs get quite shaky but not really noticeably but everything just feels like I’m unstable.
Lying in bed is very difficult to get comfortable in any position as I just feel like I’m pushing on my bones including pelvis lower back and hips and I’ve been continuously taking cocodamol for over a year to take when at it’s worse and to try and help with sleep. I’ve attempted to do countless physio exercises over the time period but nothing has stopped things getting worse and spreading to so many areas in my body.

I’m based in Edinburgh and I’m just looking for further advice in who to speak with and a direction to go in to get a ball rolling to try and sort this as I feel like I’m at breaking point. GP has given lumbar spine mri but I feel that doesn’t cover what the real issues are.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm new to this whole sacroiliitis thing and i wanna start trying to strength exercise instead of stretching cuz that didn't help at all during the 5 years of my pain and i feel really weak most of the time with severe balance issues

I have VERY LIMITED internal hip flexors and weak lower back

Pls recommend me any exercise that doesn't effect the si joint that strengthen hip and pelvic muscles

I havent seen my new ortho doctor yet. I am not sure if all the hassle comes from being too early in whatever this is or not.

Between March and August of 2025, I had about 20 days where the left side of my hip hurt so bad that I could not stand, walk, or put any kind of twisting pressure on myself at all. To get off the bed from laying down, I had to flip onto my back and slide off the bed onto my feet. A pushup was impossible with the pain in my hip. 9/10 in pain, the wrong position was unbearable for more than a split second.

Eventually this stopped entirely and became a small aching pain in my left hip and lower left back every few days, and by the end of August it was a daily ache. By September it was a constant 24/7, every second of the day pain, and I noticed sciatica in my left leg while driving or sitting too long. 1–3 out of 10 pain daily. Thought I sprained my hip. Late October I finally saw a doctor who recommended PT. PT saw no results so I got an MRI.

MRI showed sacroiliac dysfunction and slight edema. Doctor said right away it looks exactly like ankylosing. February I see a rheumatologist. Still pain daily and NSAIDs reduce pain by about 20–40%. Twisting back hurts, light costochondritis from time to time. Seems to hurt with activity, walking, bending, etc.

Rheumatologist tests for antigen HLA-B27 or whatever and it's negative. Says she believes it is AS but the pain coming from activity rather than inactivity leaves her unsure. Try different meds.

Cortisone shot in my ass, hurt like hell, exacerbated pain horribly for 3 days but focused it in the lower left back. Pain continues, doctor tries new NSAIDs. They don't work, pain daily.

Around April, the pain becomes an all-over-the-back thing. Sometimes my whole upper back hurts, sometimes whole lower, sometimes sciatica, sometimes just lower left back. Stiff and slow going down the stairs every morning but pain still increases with movement.

In July, pain becomes horrid every time I wake up. When I nap for 30 minutes to 6 hours, waking up feels like being sick with the flu. Weakness, aching, pain. 4/5/6 out of 10 every time I wake up. Losing sleep.

Rheumatologist suggests steroid oral dose. First two days are the best relief in my last year, but after that the pain comes right back as the dose goes down. She says she is unsure how to move forward.

Recently, upon waking up, my feet are sore and my fingers hurt horribly if pushed backwards at all.

I've been taking 2000mg ibuprofen or 400mg naproxen or 400mg Celebrex almost daily for 9 months. Rheumatologist doesn't want to move forward.

X-ray in April showed 0 anything. MRI in June showed minor osteophyte on T4-5 and T6-7 but no spinal edema. Rheumatologist believes pain is mechanical.

Rheumatologist disagrees with AS now and sends back to PT. PT is useless. Rheumatologist at a loss. PCP refers me to ortho.

Has anyone else experienced sudden onset of sharp, shocking pain on movement like sitting and standing and some walking that pretty much just lays you in bed with ice, heat and NDAIDs? This happens sporadically when I try to do yardwork or laundry. Picking things up with both hands can cause a tightening before it goes into lockdown. It takes about 3 days before all pain stops with much rest, NSAIDs, Tylenol heat.