Sacro-iliac pain spreading to pubic area - agony!!

[thepriceiswrong]

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this? I have had lower back pain since ds was born, but I would say it was mild-moderate, sometimes flaring up. I didn't visit the GP as I am overweight as a result of stuffing face since becoming SAHM and thought that they would just tell me that I need to lose weight and send me away. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago after having a colposcopy, the pain went from bearable to unbearable (not sure if a coincidence or not?), and I made the long awaited doctor's appointment. I was actually very pleasantly surprised that after a thorough consultation, she declared that I had sacroiliitis. I was given Diclofenac to reduce the inflammation, and a topical anti inflammatory gel. She also gave me a couple of exercises to do and asked me to go back in 2 weeks. Well it's been a week and I can honestly say that it does not seem much better. Each morning when I wake up I dread getting out of bed, never mind lifting ds out of cot. The whole area of my back and pubic area feels very weak and sore. I went to a fusion yoga class the other day to try to help with my core muscles, but the next day I could barely move. I honestly find even small movements painful. I feel like I am caught in a vicious circle, because I want and need to lose weight, but activity is very uncomfortable. Needless to say, sex life is also totally non existant as I can't bear the thought of it with my achy pubic area! ! I'm only 30, but I feel like I am about 65!

Have an appointment with GP on Wednesday, so will obviously discuss all this, but just wondered if anyone else out there had any similar stories?

Yes, I have this, and haven't found much to help, although I am in almost exactly the same boat as you.

It is not fun.

Hope your GP is helpful.

Never had sacroilitis but I do have a sprained Sacroiliac joint which left me in agony before and during my last pregnancy.

I found that nothing but the Chiropractor helped. She would realign the joint and then give me a cool pack to reduce the swelling.

It was bliss

I had this since my first DD was born (she's almost 10!), I believe there was a link between having an epidural and this pain as they had trouble inserting the needle and I was left very bruised and in pain (not the hospitals fault as I'm well aware it is extremely difficult to locate it properly on a 19 stone patient - which is what I was at the time!)

Anyway, there are only 2 things I have found that works, the first was seeing a physio who gave immediate relief and the next was shifting the weight. I have lost 4 stone (srill a long way to go) and haven't had a flare up of pain in the last year (fingers firmly crossed), I fine that my back is a lot better when excercised, if I take a week off from the gym then the pain starts again so it's a definite connection for me, not saying it will be for you but worth a go..

Good luck, I know how painful and depressing it is..

Thank you all!

Fanjo - hope you can find some relief soon - have you seen your GP?

GoldenSnitch - I think the GP said she would refer me for physio if it wasn't better by the time I went back to see her - so fingers crossed I don't have to wait long.

LisaD1 - I didn't have an epidural, so that's not an issue for me, but I do need to lose about 2 stone, as this is the heaviest I've ever been. I am sure that must play a huge part in this. I have been toying with the idea of joining the gym as it is so expensive, but my husband has said that my health is the most important thing, and I think if I did a bit every evening it would hopefully help. Glad to hear that your pain has improved and congratulations on losing the weight - you must be ecstatic!

Do you have a buggyfit class near you Price?

I did this when DS was tiny, it was only £2 a session and it really helped me get some exercise. I often found that when he was small, any free time after he was in bed was sacred and I couldn't bring myself to spend it in a gym.

Plus, they do a lot of work on your core because that's the bit that gets messed up when you have a baby so it really helped.

Will be going back in April when DS goes to Pre-school to shift the weight I've put on this time!

Thanks for that GoldenShitch - had a look at the website and it looks great, however the classes in my area are not that nearby (ie 25 minute car journey), and also she only does weekends, which is the only time I get a chance to do things without child!! I may email her and ask if there is any possibility of a class being set up nearer to me - I know that there are lots of mums in my area who would love this sort of thing.

That's a shame. I'm very lucky that round here there is a class pretty much every day of the week! Although I noticed recently that they've changed the name to Push'n'tone!!

If you can find a few Mum's who would be interested, I'm sure there would be a possibility of getting a new class set up. I think a few of the ones near me are run by Mum's who loved it so much, they became instructors

I have arthritis in my sacro-iliac region, so you have my full sympathies.

A couple of things might help:
remember to take your anti-inflamms regularly, not just when it is bad.

physio can be helpful, they don't make you do anything that is unreasonable. I had 6 weeks of back classes. It did help somewhat. What did not help was pilates with an instructor who didn't understand my problems. The classes made it loads worse, I couldn't do many of the excercises and would leave in tear as I was in so much pain.

My osteo has been really good. Obv can't help the arthritis but he helps the muscles around it. I think that muscle tension makes it loads worse. He also showed me stretches to do before I get out of bed which really help.

Those disposable heat pads do help somewhat.

Good luck.

Poor you. I had this during my pregnancies - particularly badly during the second. Lots of the things you have to do every day make it worse, of course, like picking up and carrying your child (puts weight unevenly on one side, taking everything even more out of line), climbing stairs (puts weight unevenly on hips, etc...)... If your child can crawl up stairs (I don't know how old he/she is), then try to avoid having to carry him/her up them yourself! You can't not pick him/her up and carry him/her around, of course, but just be careful how you do it. I also had to be very careful not to let my legs get too far apart (!) - eg when rolling over in bed, had to keep legs close together, and not let legs spread out too far when being examined or giving birth (probably why colposcopy caused you so many problems) - if you do let them spread too far, that just pulls your pubic bone out, hence the pain being in the sacro iliac and pubic area. I suspect sitting cross legged would therefore also not be a great idea at the moment. Swimming breaststroke turned out to be an exceptionally bad idea (legs apart, kicking action...), although other swimming strokes would probably be good, as you are getting exercise in the water without putting weight on your hips.

I did find, though, that the best pain relief I got was when I was trying to teach my ds1 to climb stairs - as I was shoving his bottom up a step, I heard a dreadful ripping noise, followed by intense pain, went to bed with a hot water bottle and the next day I found I could walk comfortably again for a while! I presume this was because I'd accidentally managed to get everything back into line. I would therefore recommend trying an osteopath or chiropractor, to see if they can offer you a slightly less silly method for realigning your sacro-iliac joints! And physiotherapy is an excellent idea, of course, if you can get it, as they can show you how to move and exercise safely so as to improve rather than exacerbate the problem.

In my case, the pain went after childbirth, fortunately, and was just a result of the pregnancy hormones making the ligaments holding everything together a bit too slack.

I think it is possible to get some kind of support belt to help hold everything together (!), but personally didn't fancy trying out that option!!!!!!!

First I wouldn't try to do classes while you are having a flare up.
Second push for a referral.
I have had back pain since my first child was born six years ago. For the last two years it has been constant. Finally the GP refers me, writing that I have pain in the sacroiliac joint. After weeks and weeks I see the consultant who spends ten minutes at the most with me and doesn't even examine me. He says I should have a sacroiliac joint injection. I wait weeks and weeks for that and it makes not difference. I wait weeks for the follow up and see a senior Physio. She examines me and because it doesn't seem to be the sacroiliac joint to her, she books me in for an mri. I wait a few more weeks for this and following it, I am called in for an emergency operation as a disc has prolapsed and is completely filling the spinal cavity and I am in danger of permanent damage. I am currently waiting (weeks and weeks ) to see the consultant and be given permission to drive.

Funny tense I've used there - never mind - what I am trying to say is that I've pissed around with GPs, Physios, Osteopaths for YEARS and they were ALL wrong. I wish I'd been a bit pushier!

Also...take care with your back. I was a bit tut what am I supposed to do? I've got dc to take care of! But I could have been much more careful.

I've been seeing a physio since January for SI joint pain that I've had since I fell while pregnant with dc2. It has improved laods with her help, and I know that I am much stronger in my tummy and back but I still have pain most of the time.

After some investigations, I'm now on a waiting list to have it injected with steroids.

Hope you get the help that you need to get better.

Thanks all - some really good advice and information there. I think one of the biggest issues I have is that my ds is quite heavy. He is 17 months and 28lb. He can walk but still needs to lifted in and out of the cot, car seat, buggy, highchair etc. I do try to let him go up the stairs himself, but he cannot come down himself so I have to carry him. He is also a right wriggler, so the resistance I have to put up makes the problem worse. Bit concerned now about the not spreading my legs too far apart bit - am I ever going to have sex again??? !!!

Well, hopefully you won't need too long with your legs together and taking anti-inflammatories before it starts to get a bit better - otherwise, you'll just have to invent a new and unusual position!

ps you could try to teach your ds how to go down the stairs safely, bumping down on his bottom one step at a time, or crawling backwards????