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Sacroiliac Joint Injuries After a Virginia Car Crash Are Often Undiagnosed

Sacroiliac joint injuries

If you suffer intense pain in your lower back after a car, truck or motorcycle wreck, you may have sustained an injury to the sacroiliac joint. In this blog, we look sacroiliac joint injuries after a Virginia car crash.

The sacroiliac (SI) joint connects the sacrum and the iliac bones (or ilium), linking the pelvis to the lower spine. The ilium is the top part of your pelvis. The sacrum is just above the tailbone and below the lower vertebrae.

The sacroiliac joint is important because it supports the weight of the upper body when you stand up. If you suffer an injury to the SI joint, you may suffer serious back pain and other issues.

Although the range of the SI joint is fairly minimal, it is extremely important in providing “shock absorption” for your spine and allowing the turning of the hips to transmit to the spine.

When the body’s shock absorbers are damaged you are more likely to experience shock and pain.

The pain from an injury to the sacroiliac joint can mimic soft tissue injuries. For this reason, people who suffer this injury often go undiagnosed.

Injuries are the most common cause of damage to the SI joint, whether from an auto crash or a slip and fall.

What Symptoms Can You Expect After Sacroiliac Joint Injuries After a Virginia Car Crash?

Sacroiliac joint injuries should be considered when someone who has been in a car crash suffers pain in the hip that radiates into one or both of the lower extremities. If an MRI shows no injury to the inter-vertebral discs, an SI joint injury may be present.

Other symptoms of a sacroiliac joint injury can include:

  • Difficulties walking or standing
  • Pain when rising from a seated position
  • Pain when rolling from one side of the bed to the other
  • Pain and discomfort when climbing stairs
  • Pain in the lower back, leg, buttocks, or groin
  • Numbness and tingling
  • Increase urination
  • Depression and insomnia.

As well as accidents, overuse or repetitive activity during sports, infection of the SI joint, arthritis and sprains of the ligaments around the joint may cause sacroiliac joint injury and pain.

The SI joint may be injured due to a direct fall on your buttocks, or a blow to the side of your pelvis. When the ligaments around the joint become sprained, the condition is referred to as sacroilitis. This condition may cause pain in your buttocks or lower back, and can extend down one or both of your legs. Prolonged standing or stair climbing can exacerbate the pain.

If an injury to a sacroiliac joint causes the joint to leak synovial fluid, a surgical fusion of the joint may be needed to relieve the pain. This is a major surgery that is very costly and requires extensive physical therapy. You may suffer considerable pain and suffering and lose wages from time off work.

Certain exercises may help with injuries to the SI joint. For example, a knee-to-chest stretch is one of the more gentle SI joint pain exercises.

If you suffer from a sacroiliac joint injury after a Virginia car crash, you may be in a lot of pain. However, the true nature of the injury is not always diagnosed. It’s important to establish the full nature of your injury so as you can make a claim against an at-fault driver.

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers helps people who have been hurt in car crashes in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and other Virginia locations. Please call us today for a free consultation at (757) 333-3333.

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