SI Joint fixation

[buystoys]

I've been considering having an SI Joint fixation done to address my back and hip pain.  Do you know anyone who has had this?  What were their results?  Were they happy with the surgery?

I have such limited bending and twisting mobility as it is and I'm concerned about constraining it even more.  If I don't agitate my SI Joints, then where will the "pain" go?  Will it reside in my hips all the time then?

I'm not thrilled at the thought of another surgery.  Anyone have knowledge to share or recommendations?

Thanks!

[stillmovingforward]

Sorry, I got nothing. I hope someone can chime on here for you.
The one thing I have learned, find the best dr. you can and wait as long as needed to get an appointment with them. DH had a "tricky" surgery that went well. I put it down to me dragging him 2 hours away to the top surgeon in that field. People come from all over the west coast to that guy. He was amazing. I've done the same for my surgeries. Which have generally gone better then expected.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Feb 2, 2021 12:34:39 GMT -5 stillmovingforward said:

Sorry, I got nothing. I hope someone can chime on here for you.
The one thing I have learned, find the best dr. you can and wait as long as needed to get an appointment with them. DH had a "tricky" surgery that went well. I put it down to me dragging him 2 hours away to the top surgeon in that field. People come from all over the west coast to that guy. He was amazing. I've done the same for my surgeries. Which have generally gone better then expected.

Yep.  Research first.  It would take me 6 months to get into my orthopedic surgeon as a new patient, and even longer to schedule surgery.  I tell anyone on my hip groups to research the hell out of prospects, and wait if they have a long list.  

If you can get in quickly (short of a cancellation), run.

[stillmovingforward]

So don't wait until is a 'do or die' situation. Make the appointment and be willing to wait. Totally worth it.

[buystoys]

Thanks ladies.  Someone on another board had also done research on this procedure.  It's a 6-12 month recovery with no driving and lots of physical therapy.  I loved my ortho surgeon who did my back (great job) so I would go back to him for this.  DH and I think we talked to him about this surgery as a potential necessary follow up.  I know he told me that I'll likely need another spinal fixation in 10-15 years as my L3-4 will degrade due to excessive motion requirements.  He didn't try to BS me on what it would take to recover from the back surgery, so I would believe what he says on this one.

I'm still going to put it off as long as I can, but I can see the writing on the wall.  The nerve ablations are helping for less and less time.  The back pain is constant and the hip pain is getting worse.  I'm hopeful it'll be at least another two years before I have to give up and have surgery.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Feb 2, 2021 19:28:35 GMT -5 buystoys said:

Thanks ladies.  Someone on another board had also done research on this procedure.  It's a 6-12 month recovery with no driving and lots of physical therapy.  I loved my ortho surgeon who did my back (great job) so I would go back to him for this.  DH and I think we talked to him about this surgery as a potential necessary follow up.  I know he told me that I'll likely need another spinal fixation in 10-15 years as my L3-4 will degrade due to excessive motion requirements.  He didn't try to BS me on what it would take to recover from the back surgery, so I would believe what he says on this one.

I'm still going to put it off as long as I can, but I can see the writing on the wall.  The nerve ablations are helping for less and less time.  The back pain is constant and the hip pain is getting worse.  I'm hopeful it'll be at least another two years before I have to give up and have surgery.

Do you have hip problems too?  If you deal with those, can they help your back pain?  

They can test where your pain is coming from by injecting lidocaine into your hip.  If it alleviates the pain (unfortunately, it is only for a few hours) that becomes diagnostic.  A friend of mine had it done, and she hopped off the table in amazement.  It was like she wasn’t dealing with anything.  2 hours later, pain back.  

[buystoys]

Feb 2, 2021 23:16:20 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Feb 2, 2021 19:28:35 GMT -5 buystoys said:

Thanks ladies.  Someone on another board had also done research on this procedure.  It's a 6-12 month recovery with no driving and lots of physical therapy.  I loved my ortho surgeon who did my back (great job) so I would go back to him for this.  DH and I think we talked to him about this surgery as a potential necessary follow up.  I know he told me that I'll likely need another spinal fixation in 10-15 years as my L3-4 will degrade due to excessive motion requirements.  He didn't try to BS me on what it would take to recover from the back surgery, so I would believe what he says on this one.

I'm still going to put it off as long as I can, but I can see the writing on the wall.  The nerve ablations are helping for less and less time.  The back pain is constant and the hip pain is getting worse.  I'm hopeful it'll be at least another two years before I have to give up and have surgery.

Do you have hip problems too?  If you deal with those, can they help your back pain?  

They can test where your pain is coming from by injecting lidocaine into your hip.  If it alleviates the pain (unfortunately, it is only for a few hours) that becomes diagnostic.  A friend of mine had it done, and she hopped off the table in amazement.  It was like she wasn’t dealing with anything.  2 hours later, pain back.  

The consensus is that the hip pain is coming from the SI joint.  When I have the nerve ablations, the hip pain recedes.  That is actually my notice that I need another ablation:  I get the sharp pains in my hips back.  If it's only a couple of days a week, I wait.  When it gets to be every day, I go for another procedure.  It's not a constant pain.  It's more of a sharp pinching that comes and goes.  I notice it more when I'm sitting.  So if I go lie down, it disappears again.