Sacroiliac joint related pain may have a prevalence of up to 16-30% among chronic low back pain patients. The sacroiliac joint is a large load bearing joint that is a common pain generator in patients with chronic low back pain. The sacroiliac joint is innervated by a complex web of sensory nerves and thus presenting pain patterns are often variable and shared by other concurrent pathologies. Diagnosis of sacroiliac joint dysfunction can times get overshadowed by more obvious diagnoses such as lumbar radiculopathy. Unless a clinician actively rules out sacroiliac joint pain it can easily be missed and forgotten during the workup for back pain. This presentation will review the anatomy and physiology of the sacroiliac joint. We will describe the pathophysiology of sacroiliac joint dysfunction and associated pain with diagnosis and treatment. The topics introduced will help both interventional and non-interventional pain physicians understand sacroiliac joint dysfunction as a common pain generator in chronic low back pain. Finally, we will review the current and emerging treatment options along with supporting evidence.
