Health Services

By William Hogan, MD
Blanchard Valley Pain Management

The sacroiliac joint is a large joint in your lower back and buttocks region. There are two sacroiliac joints, one on each side, with ligaments in each joint that hold the bones together. Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain can be difficult to diagnose as other conditions can cause similar symptoms. When the joint becomes painful, it can cause pain in its immediate region or it can refer pain into your groin, hip, buttock or leg. SI joint pain can be aggravated with prolonged standing, sitting, stair climbing, moving from sitting to standing, and running.

The largest cause of sacroiliac pain is arthritis of the SI joints. However, you can experience SI joint pain with traumatic injury, during and after pregnancy, spinal scoliosis and after a lumbar spine fusion. The diagnosis of sacroiliac pain starts with a physical examination and imaging, including X-rays, a CT scan or an MRI.

Allen County Public Health is currently investigating both a probable case of Lyme Disease and a probable West Nile Virus case. The health department would like to remind the public of the risks associated with tick and mosquito season and urge them to take precautions associated with Lyme Disease and with West Nile Virus. 

To avoid contact with ticks and potential risk of Lyme Disease it is recommended that you avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter when outdoors. Consider using EPA-registered tick repellents, and wear light-colored long-sleeve shirts and pants to prevent tick bites. Tucking pants into socks is a great line of defense to keep ticks from making skin contact. Ticks can also ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats and day packs.