Low Back Pain: Sometimes it “Isn’t What it Seems to Be”

Staff Writer

Sometimes, where pain presents itself is different from the source. For some patients – and perhaps more often than is known – low back pain results from a sacroiliac joint problem. The body’s sacroiliac (SI) joint links the pelvis and lower spine.

SI joints as a source for back pain is validated via research conducted by the Engineering Center for Orthopaedic Research Excellence, the Departments of Bioengineering and Orthopaedics, The University of Toledo, the Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School.

Unraveling the Secrets of the Sacroiliac (SI) Joint

The sacroiliac joint is the largest axial joint in the body – one of those joints that allow the body to move in so many ways. In fact, the SI joint is surrounded by some of the largest and powerful muscles in the body, stabilized through pelvic floor muscles. According to a 2019 report in the International Journal of Spine, any change to the typical sacroiliac joint’s anatomy can lead to low back pain.

Here are three significant factors that can cause a person to experience low back pain related to the sacroiliac joint.

1. Having legs of different lengths can result in flattening the spine’s natural curve, causing abnormal wear and tear on the SI joint over time.
2. Due to hormonal changes, pregnancy or recent childbirth can also alter the ligaments surrounding the SI joint.
3. Changes or problems to the ligaments that attach directly to the SI joint can also cause pain. Examples include ligamentous tension (ligaments guide the muscle’s response for positioning the joint), soft tissue injury, or inflammation can be the true cause of pain.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Low-back pain resulting from the sacroiliac joint is not limited to these conditions. Doctors of Chiropractic are able to evaluate the spine and pelvis to see which of these factors may be a contributing factor to back pain. Chiropractors offer a primary care approach for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of low back pain and other musculoskeletal issues.

Chiropractors believe in optimizing health through food nutrition, constructive exercise, stress management and focus on the importance of good posture and joint mobility.

CUKC Chiropractic Health Center

Cleveland University-Kansas City, founded in 1922, is a private, nonprofit, chiropractic and health science-focused university in Overland Park, Kansas. The CUKC on-campus Chiropractic Health Center is open to the public and treats patients from Kansas City’s 15-county metro area. Our goal is to provide care and solutions for a better, more productive life for our patients.