How is Sacroiliitis Diagnosed?

If you have been having pain in your lower back, buttocks or even down your legs, it is a good idea to see your doctor. One of the conditions that could cause this is known as sacroiliitis. This is an inflammatory condition that can be successfully kept under control once you have a confirmed diagnosis.

Looking at Your Symptoms

This is the first thing that my doctor did. My biggest issue was increased pain with prolonged standing. Standing in one place for even a few minutes would start to cause pain. Climbing the stairs did not bother me, but it can aggravate this condition. Putting more weight on one leg over another is another thing that really started to bother me, especially on my left side. Other things that may aggravate this condition include running, extreme postures and large strides.

Laboratory Tests

This is not a test I had, but it is a possibility so we will discuss it. If your doctor thinks that an infection could be brewing in your sacroiliac joint, he or she may want to get a fluid sample from the joint. This could be an uncomfortable test because to get the joint fluid sample, a needle needs to actually go into the joint and this joint is rather deep. Imaging is generally used to help guide the doctor to the joint.

Imaging Tests

These are the most common tests for this condition. I had regular X-rays and an MRI. Regular X-rays are used to look at the joint to see if it is damaged at all. An MRI can look at the soft tissues as well as the bone. Some doctors may also order a CT scan to get different angles of pictures.

Injections

I had injections as part of the diagnostic process and while I found these rather painful, they were incredibly helpful in getting the diagnosis. Lower back pain can be caused by dozens of different things and these injections are helpful in pointing to a specific cause of your pain. For the procedure, you will be in a surgically sterile room and a fluoroscope is used to help the doctor find the joint and guide the anesthetic and needle. He will inject a numbing medication into a very specific area - in this case the sacroiliac joint - and if your pain stops, the source of your pain is most likely due to an issue with this joint. In my case, the numbing medication did stop the pain and through this test and imaging it was confirmed that my sacroiliac joint was an issue.