August 29, 2025
Sacroiliitis: Everything You Need to Know
Living with lower back pain that radiates into your buttocks and legs can be frustrating and debilitating. If you’ve been experiencing these symptoms, you might be dealing with sacroiliitis — a condition that affects millions of people worldwide yet often goes undiagnosed for months or even years.
Sacroiliitis is the inflammation of one or both sacroiliac (SI) joints, which connect your lower spine to your pelvis. While the name might sound intimidating, understanding this condition is the first step toward finding relief and reclaiming your quality of life.
The sacroiliac joints play a crucial role in your body’s mechanics. These two large joints sit at the base of your spine, where the triangular sacrum bone meets your hip bones. They’re responsible for supporting your body weight and transferring forces between your upper body and legs during movement. When these joints become inflamed or dysfunctional, the resulting pain can significantly impact your daily activities.
Gladiator Therapeutics will walk you through everything you need to know about sacroiliitis, from recognizing the early warning signs to exploring effective treatment options that can help you get back to living pain-free.
Understanding Sacroiliitis Causes
Arthritis and Autoimmune Conditions
One of the most common culprits behind sacroiliitis is arthritis. Osteoarthritis can cause the cartilage in your SI joints to wear down over time, leading to inflammation and pain. Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis can also target these joints, causing chronic inflammation that damages the joint structure.
Ankylosing spondylitis deserves special attention as it’s a type of inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects the spine and SI joints. This autoimmune condition causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy tissue, resulting in chronic inflammation that can eventually lead to the fusion of vertebrae.
Traumatic Injuries
Your SI joints can become inflamed following trauma from accidents, falls, or sports injuries. The impact can damage the ligaments that support these joints, causing instability and inflammation. Even seemingly minor incidents can trigger sacroiliitis if they affect the delicate balance of forces in your lower back and pelvis.
Infections
While rare, infections can cause sacroiliitis. Pyogenic sacroiliitis occurs when bacteria enter the joint space, typically through the bloodstream. This condition requires immediate medical attention as it can lead to serious complications if left untreated.
Pregnancy and Hormonal Changes
Pregnancy brings unique challenges to the SI joints. Hormonal changes, particularly increased levels of relaxin, cause the ligaments around your pelvis to loosen in preparation for childbirth. This increased joint mobility can lead to instability and inflammation in the SI joints, causing sacroiliac joint pain that may persist even after delivery.
Recognizing Sacroiliitis Symptoms
Pain Characteristics
The hallmark of sacroiliitis is pain in your lower back, buttocks, and hips. This discomfort can range from a dull, persistent ache to sharp, shooting pain that takes your breath away. The pain often affects one side more than the other, though it can be bilateral.
Many people describe the pain as radiating down one or both legs, similar to sciatica. This referred pain can extend into your groin area and may feel like it’s originating deep within your buttocks. The intensity can vary throughout the day, often worsening with certain activities or positions.
Movement-Related Pain
Sacroiliitis symptoms typically worsen with specific movements and positions. You might notice increased pain when:
- Standing for extended periods
- Sitting for long durations, especially in soft chairs
- Climbing stairs or walking uphill
- Getting up from a seated position
- Twisting or rotating your torso
- Lying on the affected side
Stiffness and Reduced Range of Motion
Morning stiffness is common with sacroiliitis, particularly if an inflammatory condition like ankylosing spondylitis is the underlying cause. This stiffness typically improves with gentle movement and stretching throughout the day.
You may also notice reduced flexibility in your lower back and hips, making it difficult to perform routine tasks such as putting on shoes or getting in and out of a car.
Associated Symptoms
Some people with sacroiliitis experience numbness or tingling in their legs, which occurs when inflammation affects nearby nerves. These neurological symptoms can be concerning and should prompt immediate medical evaluation to rule out more serious conditions.
Diagnosing Sacroiliitis
Physical Examination Techniques
Healthcare providers use several specialized tests to diagnose SI joint dysfunction. The Patrick test (also called the FABER test) involves placing your ankle on the opposite knee while lying down, then applying gentle pressure to test for pain in the SI joint.
The compression test involves applying pressure to your pelvis while you lie on your side, which can reproduce SI joint pain. The distraction test works in the opposite direction, gently pulling the pelvis apart to assess joint function.
Imaging Studies
X-rays can show structural changes in the SI joints, particularly in cases of ankylosing spondylitis, where joint fusion may be visible. However, early inflammatory changes often don’t show up on standard X-rays.
MRI scans are the gold standard for diagnosing sacroiliitis because they can detect inflammation in soft tissues and bone marrow that X-rays might miss. CT scans can also be useful for evaluating bone structure and detecting subtle changes in joint alignment.
Diagnostic Injections
When imaging results are unclear, your doctor might recommend a diagnostic injection. This involves injecting a local anesthetic directly into the SI joint. If your pain significantly improves after the injection, it confirms that the SI joint is the source of your symptoms.
Gladiator MD™ Hip/Sacrum Device
The Gladiator MD™ Hip/Sacrum Device offers an innovative approach to managing sacroiliitis symptoms. This specialized device is designed to provide targeted inflammation and pain relief for soft tissue injuries, including those affecting the SI joints.
The device works by increasing blood flow to the hip and sacrum region, which helps relieve symptoms of nerve compression that often accompany sacroiliitis. Users typically experience reduced numbness, tingling, and pain while enjoying improved mobility and function.
One of the most significant advantages of the Gladiator MD™ device is its potential to eliminate the need for pain medications, injections, or surgery. This non-invasive approach enables individuals to resume their normal work and daily activities more quickly than traditional treatment methods alone.
Taking Control of Your Sacroiliitis
Early intervention typically leads to better outcomes, so it’s essential not to ignore persistent lower back and buttock pain. The sooner you address sacroiliitis, the better your chances of preventing it from becoming a chronic, life-limiting condition.
Gladiator Therapeutics’ innovative devices can serve as a valuable component of a comprehensive care plan, working in conjunction with traditional medical treatments to support nerve health and overall wellness. By improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and minimizing pain, these devices may help you better manage your symptoms and maintain your quality of life.
Don’t ignore the warning signs your body is sending you. Contact us today to learn more about how our groundbreaking technology can help treat your symptoms.