What is Sacroiliitis?

One of the things that I struggle with medically is Sacroiliitis. My PA and I believe that I now suffer with this condition and will for the rest of my life because of an untreated urinary tract infection. The not so funny thing is that I had been trying to get one of my many specialists to treat me for the urinary tract infection for over a month and a half before I found my new PA and he agreed to prescribing antibiotics.

Here is some information about Sacroiliitis. (More information can be found at the Mayo Clinic Website)

Sacroiliitis is an inflammation of one or both of the sacroiliac joints, which connect the lower spine and pelvis. With Sacroiliitis, even the slightest movements of the spine can be extremely uncomfortable or painful.

Sacroiliitis symptoms may include:

• Pain and stiffness in the lower back, thighs or buttocks.

• Pain that worsens with walking because the motion of the hips strains the sacroiliac joints.

• Inflammation in one or both of the eyes (uveitis or iritis).

• Psoriasis, an inflammatory skin condition

• Pain radiating down the leg.

• Limping.

• Decreased range of motion in the hip joint.
  

• A fever that appears quickly.

Complications:

• Delayed treatment of Sacroiliitis — Either because of an incorrect diagnosis or because of delaying going to the doctor — can cause serious harm to the sacroiliac joints.

  Sacroiliitis may be part of a larger inflammatory arthritis condition known as Ankylosing Spondylitis. Complications of this condition can be very serious, including difficulty breathing, spine deformities, lung infections and heart problems.

• Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily causes pain and inflammation of the joints between the vertebrae of your spine and the joints between your spine and pelvis (sacroiliac joints). However, Ankylosing Spondylitis may also cause inflammation and pain in other parts of your body as well.

Initial symptoms - Early signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis may include:

• Chronic pain in the lower back and hips, especially in the morning and after periods of inactivity.

• Stiffness in the lower back or hip area, especially in the morning.

As the condition progresses - The condition may change over time, with symptoms getting worse, improving or completely stopping at any point. Over time the pain and stiffness, which usually begin gradually, may progress up your spine and to other joints. One may experience inflammation and pain in these other parts of the body:

• Where the tendons and ligaments attach to bones.

• Joints between the ribs and spine.

• Joints in the hips, shoulders, knees and feet.

• The eyes.

Symptoms of advanced stages - In advanced stages, the following signs and symptoms may develop:

• Restricted expansion of the chest.

• Chronic stooping.

• Stiff, inflexible spine.

• Fatigue.

• Loss of appetite.

• Weight loss.

• Eye inflammation (uveitis).

• Bowel inflammation.