Sacroiliac joint pain: Where are we now?

Abstract

Sacroiliac joint pain is often interpreted by healthcare practitioners as non-specific pain in the lower back region. This has resulted in many cases of sacroiliac joint pain being misdiagnosed as general chronic low back pain, which has led to large gaps in the knowledge regarding its exact causes and manifestation. The pain is theorized to develop because of the loss of form and/or force closure leading to destabilization and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Current diagnostic tests include pain provocation tests and intra-articular injections. The intra-articular injections may exclude individuals with extra-articular pain, so more inclusive testing should be considered for use in clinical practice such as range of motion assessment or pubic symphysis analysis. Recent literature does not support the use of present treatments by healthcare practitioners as the therapies lack well designed studies to confirm their efficacy, are extremely invasive, or have minimal symptom management capabilities. Additional research into current and new treatment strategies needs to be done to determine their efficacy in managing this condition. Overall, the development of an animal model of the condition is recommended to better evaluate and improve the diagnosis and treatment of sacroiliac joint pain.